Femme Fatale
by bexie25
Summary: Isabella has waited nearly a millenia for her mate. Changed by Dr Carlisle Cullen, Edward Masen was taught to be good to human nature... only to fail. In his quest for death, he finds everything he's ever wanted. He finds his very own femme fatale who's hellbent on teaching him about true vampire nature. But trouble arises, and Edward's faced with the choice between mate & creator.
1. A Conversation with Alice

**I know, I know… I'm that bad. I'm back with another one and there's only one of my ridiculous amount of stories that's actually finished.**

**Blame this – if you have to blame anyone – on kitkat681… she liked the previews I gave in **_**How to Save a Life **_**and then convinced me to start this baby up… tehehe.**

**I, of course, fell into it and decided to against my better judgement.**

**This chapter was originally supposed to be the second chapter, but with what I've got planned *secretive smirk* it fit a lot better as the first… you'll see why in the following two chapters.**

**Warning… I got this from CaraNo's **_**Bloody Kisses**_** and kitkat681's **_**Chocolate Covered Kisses**_**… yeah; I know… a lot of kissing going on there.**

**Anyhoo… this snarky, confident Bella got talking and here we are. There are no themes related to the above stories… except, perhaps the fact that they are shameless vamps who drink human blood. Edward's a bit weird about it though (not for long) so you know… don't say I plagiarized…**

**Ugh. I think I'll just stop talking…**

**Please review, lovelies. I like hearing what you think about my stories. Some of your reviews make my fucking shitty day… if it happens to be shitty, that is.**

**Alright. Enough said. See you down the bottom!**

**P.S. Hi!**

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I looked out the window of the darling little 'meeting' room. It was essentially the dining room, though we used it for no such purposes.

I sighed as I tried to block the sounds of my three brothers, Caius, Marcus and Aro mating with their mates.

I groaned ever so softly at the sounds of their passionate rendezvous.

I was soon broken away from my thoughts, however, by none other than...

"He's coming, Bella," Alice chirped as she whirled into the room and sat down in front of me.

My right eyebrow rose, though I immediately knew who she was talking about. "He?"

She scoffed indignantly and shook her head, her pixie-cut hair swinging along with her head. "Your mate, Isabella; you know who I'm talking about."

One of my personal servants, Felix, bustled in quickly, lithely as he cleaned off the ornaments on the ledge before speeding out of the room.

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up as I waved her off with my hand. "Yes, yes, I know. I just wanted to make sure. You've said this for a while, Alice. Going on twenty years…"

"Since his birth," she said flatly, staring after Felix for a moment.

I smiled sarcastically, narrowing my eyes as I regarded her. "Yes… I can't believe that you have seen me mate with a human. I hunt and drink from the very species for dinner… as you do as well."

She smiled, "and I love it of course. But do not forget that when Marcus first met his Didyme, she was human. He changed her quickly after of course, having nearly killed her in their passion together but she had been human none the less."

She watched me as I sighed, my lips separating as I looked out the window. She left me to think for a few minutes before she sighed, unable to keep from speaking any longer. Alice had always been that way… a talker.

"Oh and I must inform you of something," she said and she was giddy. I eyed her curiously. "Your problem is that he is human, yes?"

"Yes it is," I said, watching her carefully as I leaned my elbow on the table, my head falling into the arch between my thumb and forefinger. I did not have a good feeling about this.

She was abruptly worried to continue and my eyes narrowed, telling her that she had better continue. "And you would never change him?"

I growled, looking down at my hands as they fiddled with the line of diamonds down the length of my long dress to my abdomen. The dress was beautiful yet revealing; silky and alluring, with a low neckline to show as much cleavage as is socially acceptable to keep a woman modest and "naïve".

I always chuckled at that; there was nothing "naïve" about me. Not an icy limb in my hard body.

"Bella?" Alice asked and I sighed, the sound so harsh it came out as a growl.

"No." I said simply, frowning and closing my eyes in anguish. "No, I will not; I cannot imagine a worse life for him."

She smiled a small smile and my head flashed up to look at her, cocking to the side. Her smile grew larger as she answered. "I have kept something from you, Bella."

I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself. Anything to do with my mate made me anxious and to know that she had kept something from me… it angered and worried me.

"What?" I snapped and she flinched. In the background, I could hear her Jasper growl at my actions and I mentally cursed myself. But I would not stop until I knew what exactly she had kept from me. "What is it?"

"He has been turned," she said and my body grew cold; a chilling feeling tickled down my spine and I closed my eyes, my head bowing as I rested my elbows on my thighs, leaning into my hands.

"When?" I whispered brokenly.

"Three months ago," she said and my head snapped up.

"And you didn't inform me?" I growled out, jumping up. I immediately started pacing, aggressively and quickly, trying to get rid of my anger so I didn't lash out.

"I did not," she said, sighing sadly and I stopped to look at her. She looked up at me, sadness etched on her face. "I am so sorry. I only did it because I didn't want you to freak out and demand to see him at once. His creator would not have taken that lightly."

I growled protectively and possessively, not liking the insinuation. "His creator would not have liked it? Well pray tell, who is this… _majestic_ creator who so took it upon himself to _change my mate_?"

I was angry; so very angry and when I was seething to this degree, I had a mind to be… sarcastic. Forgive the pun, but I would usually be bitingly so.

"He could not have known that the human was your mate," she said as she turned her body as I walked around to the back of the seat she was sitting on.

"The human?" I seethed, vaguely thinking of ripping the fabric from the couches behind me. "Do not call him merely a human, especially if he has been changed. His name is Edward Masen and he shall be called as such."

Just the sound of his name, even from my own lips, calmed me a little.

"Forgive me, your Highness," she said seriously as she stood from her chair and lowered to her knees. "If you must, punish me as you see fit."

I sighed and knelt down in front of her. "As wrong as it was for you to neglect informing me, for the… well, I suppose _life _of me I could never torment your husband so. Rise from your feet and tell me the rest of your news."

She hesitated before rising as I had told her to. She regarded me as I carefully made my way to the couches, lightning fast. She followed suit and sat opposite me, settling into the lush couch, her arm rested on the back of the seat as she nestled her tiny frame into the corner.

I sat as she did and watched her as she gathered herself.

Finally, she spoke.

"The creator was Carlisle Cullen from America," there was a wry smile on her lips and I watched her curiously. "A vegetarian, as it is."

I laughed, the sound startling even to me. "Ah, of course… the Elusive Doctor Carlisle Cullen of America. The lone vampire who runs around, turning every unfortunate, _dying_ human he comes across and teaches them the ways of the yellow eyes."

Alice barked out a laugh, a higher, harmonious chorus to my own. "The very same," she said, toning her laughing down.

It was then that it occurred to me. "Alice," I said harshly and she immediately calmed herself, composing herself before looking at me.

"Yes?" She asked, biting her lip in a nervous gesture.

"If Carlisle Cullen changes every _dying _human… then just how did he come across my mate?" I asked as I felt the panic and worry bubble behind my words, to the tip of my tongue. I tried, in vain, to swallow them back but I could not.

Gasping breaths erupted from my mouth as Alice opened her mouth and rushed to reassure me. "Your mate was in an accident of sorts."

My eyes narrowed and I growled at her. "What type of accident?"

"Car accident, your Highness," she said and I closed my eyes, my body slumping. My mind – overactive with worry, so terrible that I felt the impulse in my fingers to touch my mate though he was not here – sought out to the depths of despair to show me the worst imaginings it could come up with.

And then Jasper was there, kneeling in front of me at a safe distance to keep Alice's possessiveness and protectiveness from rearing its head. His voice was a southern drawl. "Bella, it is alright. Remember – Alice told you that your mate is now a vampire. He has survived… he is alright now."

I nodded, the gasping breaths slowing before eventually ceasing. I rested back into the couch and looked up to the ceiling. "Thank you, Jasper."

"As always, Bella," he said and then he was no longer in the room.

"Bella, may I proceed?" Alice asked quietly and I braced myself, nodding. "Very well then… your Edward was in Port Angeles of Washington with a few of his friends at a bar of some sorts. He's twenty mind you, so of course that is the norm in America."

I nodded, settling my gaze upon her once again. She hesitated and I quickly spoke. "Please Alice… please just continue. I need to know what I happened and I need to know now."

She nodded again and breathed in quickly before continuing. "There was a group of boys the same age if not older and they quickly found him. Your Edward was from a wealthy family, Bella…" she said and I bared my teeth, a throaty growl ripping its way out.

"He was mugged," I growled to myself, anger taking its place in front of concern.

"Yes, he was." She said and I knew what she would not say. He had been beaten roughly… roughly enough to be considered dead or dying. They left him to die and Carlisle Cullen smelled the blood."

_He had been bleeding_, I thought to myself, my teeth snapping and grounding. _They had hurt him so badly that he had been bleeding… he'd attracted a vampire with that same blood._

"The men?" I asked, unable to help myself.

_They had better be dead, _I thought, my thoughts filled with a deadly kind of malice.

"Dead, all of them," she said in a flat voice and I nodded, partly happy. I did not need to know who killed them, but I was somewhat upset that it had not been me. "I put Felix on the job immediately."

I smiled thankfully at her and she shrugged her shoulders modestly.

"And what of him now?"

"Now?" She asked and I nodded, leaning forward eagerly. "Well, after those three months that Carlisle taught him the ways of the yellow eyes, he left him there to fend for himself. As always, it did not work and Edward… faulted."

I huffed, a smile forming on my lips. "You mean he took to his rightful nature."

She nodded, smiling just as I was.

But then she frowned. "Bella, there is something that I must tell you."

I frowned, "what?"

"He is coming here… to Volterra…"

"He is coming?" I asked, overjoyed only to look at her and see that it was not a good thing. "Alice, what is the matter?"

She looked at me sadly. "Oh Bella, he is coming here to meet his death."

Dread. Fear. Pain.

I felt it all.

Was I destined to lose my mate before I truly found him?

"We must stop him," I said, my voice sounding… dead to me. I was huddled in a painfully tight ball, my arms holding me together as the pain wracked through my body.

"And we shall."

"Put the word out to all servants," I said and she looked at me.

"What do I tell them?"

I looked at her. "Tell them that if anyone by the name of Edward Masen enters these walls, I am to be notified and he is to be kept calm and rational in the throne room to wait for my arrival."

She stood and smiled, "of course."

And then she sped out of the room, leaving me to think.

Vampires only wanted one thing… they only needed one single thing to survive.

Blood.

But then, there is a soulmate for each of us. Our mate… we were destined for them, to connect ourselves with them in mind and body to create one solid, strong union.

Edward was all of that for me… and more.

Through the years, I have envied my brother. They had met them together, nearly instantly after our rebirths.

But living nearly amillennia alone, whilst those around you experienced the joy that you could only imagine… it was hard.

Aro had his Sulpicia, a beautiful yet snarky and rude blonde vampire. I had, on countless times, coming _so _fucking close to killing her. But I couldn't do that to my brother.

Caius had his love, Athenodora, a brunette bitch… she and Sulpicia were just as bad as each other.

But Marcus' mate, Didyme was my favourite. Kind hearted and good spirited, she lifted up the beings in this coven and made them happy… _even me_.

She was the good example of what I wanted. I wanted someone who would share my passion, my desires, my love and affection.

There were many characteristics of a mated pair that separated them from those who were… casually fucking, I suppose.

Perhaps the most obvious… the mating bites.

Female and male vampires left two signature marks on their mate. Once on the neck, then on the chest; the sole reason being that when we were in the public eye our mating mark on the neck was easily seen without the partner feeling uncomfortable because their mate was revealing too much skin for their liking.

The reason for a mate to bite on the breast or chest of their mate, depending on gender was that in those private moments of love and passion, they would see their claim on their mate and feel safe, loved and cared for. They would feel at peace, seeing the mark that showed the intimacy of them together and the mark that was their passage to release venom and therefore smell onto their mate. Not only that, but the arousing state of just the sight of their mark on their mates body led to the most powerful of climaxes.

That didn't mean that they did not bite their mates many other times in various places… but that was all common. No, the way to tell that a vampire was mated was by the bite on their neck and, perhaps on occasion if it is visible, the bite on the chest or breast.

It was rare that that would be visible though; and if it were… it wouldn't be for long.

I ached for that, I craved it… for a mate that would give me everything.

And I could only hope that the male Alice had seen – my Edward Masen – who was apparently destined for me… would give me that… would give me everything…

… That is, of course… if he lived.

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**That's the end of that chapter. :D**

**The chapters will get longer as the story progresses. Next chapter, we hear from Edward… those of you who read my other shit on this site know that it's quite hard to get a word out of Edward. That means, this story will most likely be nearly all in BPOV. I'll give you a glimpse of Edward now and then if he opens his mouth.**

**Now, I don't have an updating schedule, though I never do with my stories… so, I'll see you soon.**

**A Choice's next chapter is coming along, don't worry. Reason to be Sane is closing off and… yeah. That's it, pretty much for stories updating and stuff.**

**:D**

**Please do review… as I said up the top, I like hearing from you.**

**bexie25**


	2. Deepest Desires

**Hello**

**Back again with a Bella POV chapter because Edward isn't talking to me. His chapter is next up though so maybe he'll get around to chatting by then.**

**Um, here's the link to my photobucket . com album thing for this story. So far, it's got pictures of Bella's volturi outfit and her bedroom, which are mentioned in this chapter. Other pictures of things mentioned in this chapter are there too; take a look! :D**

**LINK: s1108 . photobucket albums / h411 / bexie25 / Femme%20Fatale /**

**Now, I don't think I need to add anything... :D**

**Please read and review and enjoy... as I say for A Choice and it's outtakes.**

**See you down the bottom...**

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"Gianna!" I snapped as I came through the door.

The measly human girl jolted in her seat and the smell of her fear was quite appetizing. I supposed, in a way, it_ was_ my turn to falter on the receptionist. Caius had been last, although that woman _had _been his singer.

I shook my head. Why we employed _human _secretaries, I would never know.

"Y-yes, ma'am?" Gianna stuttered and I fought the impulse to roll my eyes.

"Gather the guard," I said, leaning over her desk. I made sure she could see my black eyes, knowing that the fear would make her think faster; strange… that was just how she worked. "Get them to meet me in the throne room. Anyone who is _late_ is _fired_."

I loved that little word… _fired_… though of course to humans it meant something different – something not life-threatening – Gianna understood immediately. She was shaking in her shoes as she nodded and turned on the PA system.

Walking away, I listened to her voice as it summoned the guards to the throne room, stressing the need for great haste.

"Dear sister," Aro said and I smiled instantly at the tilt in his voice. "Whatever have you done now that needs the attention of the entire guard?"

"It is not me," I said simply, vacantly as I took my place beside him in the line of thrones. "My mate is coming and I need them prepared."

"Your mate, Isabella?" Sulpicia spited and I just about hissed, settling for a quick glare instead. She smiled cockily, not impressed.

"Yes Sulpicia, my mate," I said bitingly and I ignored Aro's growl.

"You should really leave her alone," the sweet voice of Didyme practically sung and I smiled, closing my eyes as her presence lightened the atmosphere. "It's only fair that she finds her mate; we all have ours."

I scowled, "and thanks so much for pointing that out." I heard the chuckles of Caius and Marcus and I opened my eyes to smile at them dearly, before I said "Oh, do shut up."

They shook their heads but quickly took to their thrones, their mates standing behind them.

A few moments of silence fell upon us until the bubbling sounds of the guard waffled through the doors. I sighed as they all came through the doors, lining up as if on death row.

I stood up from my seat, ignoring the few glances at my chest and stared at them. I could very nearly hear the mental groans from my brothers, for they knew what I was doing.

"Members of the guard," I said flatly, looking at them all." Their varied-in-colour eyes shifted around uneasily, never quite meeting my gaze. "I need your help." I began my walk around the room. "My mate has come to some sort of trouble and has brought it upon himself to desire to be killed." I swallowed the pain that that sentence made me feel, not wanting to appear weak in front of the men that feared me. I could not, however, stop my breath from hitching and the tightening of my throat as the emotions ran through me.

But, as always, I soldiered on. "This will not happen. You will all be on watch for a newborn vampire by the name of Edward Anthony Masen. In fact, if _any _vampire comes through the Volterra walls, you will be expected to ask for a name. And if Edward Masen comes through the castle doors, lead him into this hall and signal for another guard to notify me... immediately."

I paused and there was an eerie silence as I looked around the room. "Anyone who fails to meet these requirements will be killed. Instantly and without hesitation; the need for this to be fulfilled with dignity and strength is at its highest."

Those last few words were stern and I felt the ripples within my shield as they reacted emotionally and mentally… not to mention physically to my words and their implementations.

One more glance around the room, I surveyed that everyone made sense. They did and so I dismissed them. "That is all."

I walked out of the room, knowing that if I had stayed my brothers and their wives would have wanted an explanation; one that I was simply not ready to give.

I raced up the multiple flights of stairs until I made it to my bedroom.

Call it old-fashioned, but my bedroom had a lovely black and white theme. All furniture was black, the floor was black… the only thing that was white were the sheets on the bed. I loved it… it was different and unique… it was my own. Make no mistake; I had seen my brothers' chambers… if you could really say that they were, in fact, my brothers' chambers. All ridiculously feminine, they held no place for a man.

Mine, however, did and I didn't mind; I loved the colours, personally. When one has a millennia to wait for their mate, they spend their time – or at least, I did – preparing for their mate. There was no other need for a bed than to have someone to share it with… to… release certain _tensions_ with.

Make no mistake, I have, in the past, had encounters with men – years ago and they stopped when Alice's first vision of my mate came – but they were never in my chambers, never within the walls of Volterra.

"Hello Isabella," I heard a soft voice say and I turned around to be faced with Rosalie. Rosa was a darling little girl with soft blue eyes and blonde, curly hair. It seemed to flow on like a river, forever. She was brought into this life when she met Emmett; she was his destined mate.

I had to admit however, that Rosa would have to feel the connection; it was obvious through her actions that she did. She loved her Emmett with all her heart and trusted him immensely. She was perhaps the only human that brought out a laid back, friendly me.

"Rosa," I said and she smiled at me. "Hi, how are you?"

"Good," she said, before she climbed up on the bed and started swinging her legs. "I'm trying to hide from Emmie. We're playing hide and seek."

I chuckled; this was a common occurrence and for some reason she loved to hide in _my _room of all places. "Well then, by all means stay."

She smiled and the happy sparkle in her eyes – one that seemed to always be there when she spoke of her Emmett or thought of him – appeared once again. "Thank you!"

I giggled to myself, shaking my head and walked slowly over to the doorway that led to the bathroom. I turned back to Rosa and said "I'm just going to have a bath, alright. Please don't disturb me; I want to be alone but if something is wrong, tell me immediately."

She smiled, completely untroubled as always, "ok!"

I smiled to myself; my teeth digging into my lip as I closed then locked the door. It wasn't hard for me to hold my physical shield against it. I always felt the need to make sure I secured my privacy.

My bathroom's colour scheme was the opposite of my bedrooms; the dominant colour was white and instead of black, the patterns were grey. I walked past the row of sinks on my left and the door on my right – which lead to the shower, though I had no idea why they gave that a whole other room – heading straight to the bath which was situated in the middle of the room.

I paused on the plush little white towel; the feeling of it under my toes never ceased to amaze me. It was so soft, though most things felt that way against a vampire's cold, hard skin; it was like walking on sand, the consistency was so very fine.

I turned on the water, quickly fixing the temperature to lukewarm. To a vampire, that was a good, hot temperature. It was nice, it relaxed me and… well, right now and I needed anything I could find to do just that. The interaction with the guard had fixed me in a bad place, something I was just beginning to realize.

I tried to block any possible thoughts that tried to riddle themselves into my head. Especially the negative ones; they were at an unusual abundance… unusual because while I usually had a few, there was never quite as many as there seemed to be now.

I sighed, sliding the silk dress up and off my body. That left me in my panties and bra – also black – and I quickly took those off as well before stepping cautiously into the bath. A smiledawned on my face at the feeling of the water – hot, satisfying; almost seductive in its temperature. I sat down in the bath, liking the way the water sat around my body.

It was also a nice way to be alone and though I didn't have candles prepared as I usually did – all components of Edward's scent, which Alice had managed to pick up or create somehow – it was still nice right now.

I closed my eyes, laying my head back against the rim of the bath. My arms were on either side of the bath, holding me where I was.

These bathing times were not ones in which I washed myself, no that activity was particularly reserved for showers. Baths, for me, were simply a way to… 'Wind down'… to_ feel_ as close as I could to my mate though geographically we were far, far away from each other... an uncomfortable distance.

The first time I had smelled my Edward's scent – in a candle that Alice had created or found somehow with the many different aspects that made Edward's scent his own – I had gone crazy. For a vampire, smelling their mate's scent was like a homecoming, only stopping short at meeting their mate; it acted as both an aphrodisiac and a depressant of sorts. While it can arouse and excite a vampire, it also calms them in times of need or fright… something that I was experiencing now.

Feeling slightly panicky at the lack of my mate's scent, I realized I should have remembered that _before_ I got in the bath.

"Fuck," I muttered, grumbling and growling to myself as I stood up in the bath and got the towel that hung down the end of the bath, where my legs were. I towelled myself, saving the little plush towel on the floor from getting wet. I stepped out of the bath with the towel wrapped around me and whizzed over to the cupboard underneath the closest sink in the row.

I hastily got out three candles of Edward's scent – all in all, I had perhaps ten that was only in the bathroom. There were hundreds more throughout the rest of my chambers – already feeling the relaxing sensation that they brought to me. I got out the matches from the same cupboard and brought all the supplies over to the bath, putting them down on the little ledge there. I quickly lit the candles, breathing in Edward's scent of honey and sunshine and lilac, – combined with many other distinct scents and smells – smiling as my muscles and limbs calmed and unclenched… simply hanging there leisurely.

I got into the bath again, dropping the towel at the edge. I sighed as the warmth engulfed me up to my collarbones once again, smiling.

I sat in the bath, breathing in Edward's scent for a few minutes, absolutely and completely still.

After a few minutes of that, I was gradually relaxing only for my grief, my panic to spike once again. I felt as if I wasn't close enough to his scent, as if he was slipping away from me again as the candle burned brightly. I craved more of his scent, perhaps the only thing that gave me comfort when I sought it because I knew that he was mine though I did not have him with me.

To fix this problem and quench the feeling, I hastily grabbed one of the candles – nearly crushing it in my haste and need for proximity – and held it right in front of my face.

But doing that only made it clear how much I needed him and that he was not here in this very moment. My breath hitched as I tried to visualize… tried to imagine, for even a moment that I was holding him. That he was here, with me… loving me and caring for me, only for me as he would for the rest of the eternity that we would have together if everything went according to plan.

I envisioned us, here in this bath… nearly felt his arms around me from behind as I sat between his legs… felt his hands as they caressed and touched every part of me… leaving a fire that burned through to my very soul.

The need for him and the sad, painful ache that proved that he was not here reduced me to sobs… tearless ones but they were still every bit as mournful and sorrowful.

"Oh please," I sobbed to myself, gripping the candle like a vice. "Please... if there is or ever was some sort of a God then just grant me one wish; just one… just bring my Edward to me; let me have him with me for our eternity."

The sobs wracked through my body, unstoppable in their tyrant. I couldn't stop the feelings as they brought me closer to breaking point.

I needed him and I needed him _now_…

… But he was not here. That very thought came with it a pang of sadness, depression… hopelessness.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and my head flashed toward it.

My eyes narrowed. "What is it? It had better be important."

"Ma'am," the shaky voice of Felix wafted toward me and I sighed, aggravated.

"Yes?" I asked, careful to not release my anger. I set down the candle that was still burning in my hand and, quick as lightning, got up and wrapped the towel around my body. I then flashed to the door and opened it. "What is it?"

He swallowed nervously and I fought the impulse to roll my eyes. "Um, well uh… your-your brother wants to see you."

I sighed; vague idiot. "Which one? Remember, I do have three."

It's a sarcastic and harmless remark, but the poor vampire blanches… if such a thing was even possible for a vampire to do. "Aro, ma'am."

I nodded and smiled to myself, "very well."

He stood there for a moment and I closed my eyes, cocking my head to the side whilst mentally wondering how a _vampire _could be so fucking stupid. "You can go now." I said slowly, perhaps just a tad condescendingly and he nodded, swallowing before he disappeared from sight.

I leaned against the door and huffed a laugh, amazed by the vampire's performance.

After standing there for a few minutes longer, I shrugged off the door and walked slowly over to my walk in wardrobe. Opening the doors, I walked in and looked around for something else to wear, not really in the mood for the dress I had been wearing before.

I smiled when my eyes met the simple, elegant little black dress that I loved. It had a loose turtle neck – the correct term being a cowl neck, something I would have found a little ridiculous if it wasn't so funny – and came down to just around two inches above my knees. It was a gorgeous little thing with long sleeves and when I picked it up and breathed it in, I sighed.

I truly did love the smell of it… the soft touch.

I quick put on some lacy panties, forgetting about a bra as I pulled the sexy little thing on. Having only been turned at the age of eighteen, my body was in prime shape. Perky breasts, long skinny – without being too skinny – legs and a nice 'round ass' as a few men had called my derrière in the past.

I looked the outfit over it the mirror before going back over to the walk in wardrobe to find a pair of comfortable heels. What I found was a pair of smart, comfortable, size seven black shoes; exactly what I liked to wear. Silk with a black circular gem – outlined by diamonds – where my big toes would be. The shoes only had the front and the back supported. They were also peep-toe, another favourite of mine.

Looking myself over once more in the mirror, I smiled and walked out the door, ready to meet my brother.

I made my way down the hall, ignoring the nervous looks from the servants and what not. Feeling particularly evil, I even growled at a few simply because it was fucking fun.

I made my way down to the level that had Aro's chamber on it which was obviously where he was now. Eventually, I made it to the door that lead into his chambers and I didn't even have to knock on it before the large stone door was opened for me… by Sulpicia.

_Oh lovely_, I thought to myself, fighting a growl or perhaps a hiss.

"Sulpicia," I said, looking away in disgust at her… _nighty_ – if you could really call it that.

"Isabella," she replied, seemingly just as disgusted. I smiled to myself – she never did like the attention my brothers gave me… which was a lot, as I was not only the only girl but I was also the youngest in human years and vampire years.

"Aro called for me," I said condescendingly to which she growled.

"Oh I know," she said haughtily, clearly jealous and fuck me if I didn't chuckle as I walked past her.

"Aro?" I called out, smiling when I heard his quick reply.

"Isabella," He called back and I walked right on through to his little sitting room. He smiled when he saw me, his black hair shining in the light of the fireplace where the growling fire blew. "Come, sit."

I whirled to the chair and sat down, never taking my eyes off of him as I threw my right leg over the other. I studied him for a short while before frowning. "What is this about?"

"Your mate," he said casually and I hissed, tensing.

"What about him?" I managed to get out and he sighed.

"There are possibilities that we need to talk about," he started, hesitating and I immediately understood what he wanted to discuss and what he was going to say.

"Which I'm not ready to speak of," I said, finishing for him as I jumped up from my chair. I stood still and looked at the fire, pretending to be enraptured and fascinated by the colours that danced there as I spoke. "I'm sorry, but we must have this conversation later. I cannot deal with this now… surely you understand."

I knew that he did not, but that didn't stop me from dashing right out of there and back into the hall. As soon as the door was shut, I kept moving to the next flight of stairs.

I walked down them, fighting my temper and pain and sorrow with each harsh step. I finally made it down to the bottom floor of the castle, but that was when I smelled it.

_Him_.

It was everything that I had been craving… very easily recognized. Just the scent relaxed and excited me at the same time. I whimpered as a knot tied itself in my abdomen, a pool of arousal dripping from my suddenly aching centre.

The feelings of need amplified, though all the bad and negative beliefs, thoughts, feelings, they simply _vanished_ and I was sure I would never feel them again. I was overwhelmed by sensation… feeling… a need to sought out this person, this vampire and I knew it was a vampire instantly.

My breath changed to gasps as I felt the tug, that… that unstoppable force that was tying me to this vampire immediately.

I needed them like air to breathe and I needed to see them right now; it could not be delayed. If it was, then I feared for any vampire or human who stood in my way. They would be ended before the threat that they presented.

Vulnerability rushed through me like a river gushed down its course and my breath hitched. Where was this man, this creature? Why wasn't he here before me now?

_I need him. _My mind hissed, clawing through the scents of those around me, searching for my love.

My body acted on those feelings, those thoughts as if acting on instinct. Which it was, actually and I was startled as the pull brought me closer and closer, only to cease when I entered the throne room not fully able to recall the journey there in the first place.

There on the ground was the object of my… obsession; there was my mate, my love.

I gasped at the sight of him being held to the ground and his head whipped around to meet my gaze. His black, weak eyes ripped through my soul therefore planting the sight of them within me so far deep that I knew I would never be able to remove them…

His eyes and the emotions held within them told me everything I needed to know. It was as if I could read minds and I immediately knew that this creature, my mate was suffering… that he was under threat.

I growled, looking anxiously around the room for the threat and my eyes immediately fell on the only other vampire – or person – in the room.

"Alec," I growled and his head snapped up, his eyes searching my face. I dashed forward, whimpering slightly as the need increased with the proximity between my mate and me.

"Is-Isabella," the guard said, stuttering – something that was strange for a vampire. But what I could smell from him was fear and the monster within me – the protector of my mate, at this moment in time – smiled, her eyes glinting with excitement in their blackness.

I could feel my mate's eyes on me and I purred in delight, to which he licked his lips. I bit my own, trying to exercise some restraint but I could not. I relented, licking my lips as I regarded him. My breathing had ceased when our eyes had first locked and I quickly gasped for breath, remembering what was happening in this moment and what I had to do before I did anything else.

I leaned in close to Alec, but not close enough to cause my mate stress or to make him feel threatened by this male. "_What did I say_?" My voice was cold, accusatory, the words hissing through my clenched teeth, showing the full extent of my fury.

Alec stuttered. "That-that if anyone with the last name of Masen, or anyone who was associated with a Cullen arrived, we had to notify you immediately."

"Exactly," I hissed before looking at my mate, who was still watching me with heavy eyes. I smiled, my eyes glistening in their black depths – black with desire only for my one love – and he licked his lips. I purred. "Get out of my sight," I said to Alec without looking his way again. My attention was focused solely on my mate, of course.

Alec scrambled and immediately left.

My mate picked himself up off the ground and then walked towards me very slowly. It was seductive and I could hear the whimpering gasps that left both of our mouths as he got closer.

I focused on his gorgeous features; I had seen him many a time, but only in paintings that Alice had done from her visions. Never as a vampire and I had to admit that as a vampire… he was all the more appealing.

His jaw and cheekbones were so very defined, so sexy and sinfully seductive in their shape. His eyes, piercing black from hunger and the presence of his mate – me – were filled with desire for me, something that the femme fatale within me loved to see. She purred in delight as she regarded the long locks of his luscious, bronze-coloured hair… so long that it just begged to be gripped and tugged in the heat of passion.

Edward stopped before me, so close that I could nearly feel him against me though we were not touching.

Carefully and slowly, his body shifted – to which mine did automatically as well – and he wrapped his arms around me, still looking into my eyes. I purred and leaned in to him, my lips inching closer to his. They brushed against his.

Our bodies touched, aligned perfectly, showing how perfect we were for each other, how we were made for only each other and I sighed in contentment. But then I felt his need for me, his desire for me and I purred.

"Shall we?" I asked, licking my lips. I couldn't – and wouldn't – delay this any longer. I need him, wanted him… _now_.

He nodded, seeming to understand exactly what I meant. "We shall."

* * *

**So, I know I'm cruel for leaving it there... that'll be continued in chapter four, after Edward's chapter. I know, very long wait but Edward's chapter is important.**

**Um, thanks for the response to this story. I'm glad that you've favourited it and alerted it... but can we get a few more reviews?**

**Thanks! I'm looking forward to your thoughts... this was a truly emotional chapter!**

**till next chapter,**

**bexie25**


	3. Memories EPOV

**Hello**

**I'm sorry I've been MIA, but most of you should know this by now… I think.**

**I had trouble with my computer. It crashed and I lost everything… I hadn't backed it up for a while so I lost this chapter of Femme Fatale.**

**So I had to re-write it (well, the part that had already been written), which was hard… but here it is. I was having trouble with this chapter until I realized that it didn't have to be older style Edward…**

**So yeah, it's coming along a bit easier now.**

**Many of you brought to my attention that I'd been a bit of an idiot and created two stories for Emmett and Rose. I rather liked the idea of Rose as a human child and Emmett a vampire so I changed that little part in the first chapter. Here is the re-written part:**

I smiled sarcastically, narrowing my eyes as I regarded her. "Yes… I can't believe that you have seen me mate with a human. I hunt and drink from the very species for dinner… as you do as well."

She smiled, "and I love it of course. But do not forget that when Marcus first met his Didyme, she was human. He changed her quickly after of course, having nearly killed her in their passion together but she had been human none the less."

**Anyway, so instead of Rose changing Emmett, it was Marcus changing Didyme. Sorry 'bout that.**

**:D**

**The other part was the confusion of whether Edward is Edward Masen or Cullen because Bella calls him Edward Masen and Alec refers to him as a Cullen. I fixed that up, so here is that little part, too:**

I leaned in close to Alec, but not close enough to cause my mate stress or to make him feel threatened by this male. "_What did I say_?" My voice was cold, accusatory, the words hissing through my clenched teeth, showing the full extent of my fury.

Alec stuttered. "That-that if anyone with the last name of Masen, or anyone who was associated with a Cullen arrived, we had to notify you immediately."

**There we go. Thanks to all those who notified me of those mistakes. Part of the problem was that I'd already written part of the second chapter when I was writing the first chapter and then I got the idea to make Edward a Masen instead of part of the Cullen family. That stuff won't happen again. Promise.**

**:D**

**Oh and just to let you know, in case there is some confusion as to how Edward died or whatever, Alice didn't tell the whole story. Sure, she told Isabella the men beating him up part… but not the other part that made it all… well, worse. Just to clear that up so no one thinks I made the mistake again.**

**On with the chapter! (wow that was a long AN)**

* * *

_"Mum, I'm fine," I said into the phone. All this nagging about coming over was starting to get to me. I had just left the pub at Port Angeles; I'd been there with Riley and the boys. Riley was leaving for Seattle on a job._

_Yeah, it was sad… but we all had emails and phones, so it wasn't that bad. It wasn't like we wouldn't see each other ever again._

"_Oh, but Edward," Mum said in a pleading tone and I sighed hard, holding the phone away from my ear for a moment. "Dear, we hardly ever see you anymore."_

_And there it was; the best guilt tripping line any son has ever seen, and I'm the one who gets to hear it._

_Fuckin' brill._

"_Mum, I'm busy," I said, frowning as I opened the car door. "Riley's leaving tomorrow and we were just saying goodbye."_

"_All the more reason to come over, my darling boy," she said insistently and I groaned softly. "You must be sad that your friend is leaving."_

_I snorted as I sat down in the car. I put the keys in the ignition, but didn't turn the car on just yet. "Mum, it isn't the 1960's anymore or whatever. We have skype and facebook."_

_She sighed, finally giving up. "Fine… alright. But I want to see you tomorrow."_

_I smiled, relenting. "Ok, mum. Love you."_

"_Oh, I love you too my sweet boy."_

_I hung up and started the car, peeling out of the carpark._

My heart hurt, my throat tightening and tears that would never spill welled in my eyes.

I missed my mother. I missed her more than I missed the friends that I'd had since school.

And it genuinely hurt to know that I would never see her again; that she'd never hug me and hold me and love me… or do those really fucking annoying things that mum's do when they're embarrassing you.

But it was safer for her… safer that she didn't know that I was alive… or rather, that I was alive for only so much longer.

See, here's the problem.

I'm a vampire.

No, no, I'm not fucking with you.

I am a vampire.

But, there were a few differences about the vampire that I am to the one in pop-culture.

For one, I don't burn in the sun, I fucking _sparkle._

Yeah, because that's fucking _manly _and scary.

But let's not get into that now.

I wanted to end my… well I guess you'd call it an _existence_. Technically, I wasn't fucking living anymore. I was dead, a dead being and a murderer.

Why else would a vampire come to Volterra, Italy where the Volturi lived?

The lady and her brothers, the names of which I did not know and to be honest, did not _want _to know were what Carlisle had called the "rulers of our kind…" the rulers of vampires. They decided life or death.

They were law.

My creator had transformed me into this… monster. He'd tried to reassure me that I did not have to be a monster… that there was actually a possibility for vampires to be good.

Yeah, well I call fucking bullshit on that one.

Then after teaching me his ways, he left me for myself.

The only problem? I could not follow his ways without his help; _I _had faulted.

I had done what I had learned was wrong, what my creator had told me was "disgusting" and "unnatural".

I had killed for my own gain; I had killed for the blood of an innocent fucking person.

But, then again… the taste had been… fucking exquisite; so very tempting. It had taunted and haunted me; compelled me with need. A need to kill and to drink…

… And I had done so, shamelessly and wholeheartedly, only to realize what I had done a few moments later.

_I wasn't drunk, but I had been drinking. At any cost, I was fucking tired. Port Angeles was fucking annoying when it came to driving home… always so fucking dark._

_I turned on the radio, turning up the rap music as I tried to stay awake._

_But even with the window open, my mind was on other things._

_For a second there, I swear I saw a flash of something… someone in the woods. I glanced over, looking. I peered in through the trees, cocking my head to the side._

_That was when I saw it again._

What the fuck was that_? I thought to myself, confused. It kept weaving in and out of the trees, giving me flashes and flashes as I glanced back and forth between the trees and the road._

_When I glanced back at the road once again, it was right at the moment that something from the left ran out in front of the car._

_"Shit," I gasped, trying to swerve around it but I lost control of the car. Between the soaked concrete and the speed of the car, I could never possibly gain it back._

_I thought for those last few seconds as my body thrashed in the seat, the car obviously rolling, of my family… my mum, my dad… my friends._

_Then, I was tugged out and all I remembered was what it felt like when I was beaten up by… I don't even know what it was._

_But then, there was a sudden pain in my side, around where my ribs were and I was falling, fading._

_Gone._

I shuddered out of the memory of my death, settling back against the seat, careful not to breathe.

Although, really… why was I so worried?

No blood that I ever tasted would really account to _hers_.

Involuntarily, I was sucked into another memory… the one memory I had been trying to escape.

_I wandered the streets of Seattle alone, sighing as I looked around._

_It was the middle of the night, on a Thursday; the city was pretty much dead. It only really 'woke up' on the Weekends._

_I growled, sighing again as I thought of Carlisle and what he must have been doing._

_Even after his leaving, I felt sad… not knowing where he was. I hoped to see him again and soon; he was the only father that I had now, my own thinking that I was dead._

_It was then that I heard a woman's scream and I looked around to my left,_

_That's when it happened; when I made my mistake._

_I breathed in and the monster within me roared, clawing at his cage._

_And the cage was too weak to withhold his attack; he broke through and took over my senses… common sense gone now, instinct taking over._

_I simply had to have her blood; now. _

_It didn't matter that I had saved her only moments ago from the scum of a human._

_This was an unquestionable instinct; pure and raw and _strong_._

_Fuck Carlisle's beliefs and how bad it was; this was _need… _nature making its course._

_All that talk of the fittest of the fit surviving… it was true._

_And out of the fragile, little woman in front of me and the strong vampire that I was… _I _was the fittest._

_And besides…_

_Her blood was _mine_; I wanted it and would have it… this minute. _No one _would stop me. If they tried, they will die a painful death._

_I leaned in, the sight of fright in her eyes spurring on the monster that was within me… taunting him. _

_I smiled wickedly, just the curl of the right side of lips and a snarl ripped forcefully from my throat._

_She whimpered, sinking into the wall behind her but I had her trapped._

_I leaned down, my lips touching her neck and I moaned at the feeling of her pulse as it throbbed just under the thin layer of skin at her neck._

_I groaned and bit down._

_The taste; it was a thousand times better than fucking elk. Why I'd ever let Carlisle tell me that this was wrong was beside me._

_I drank greedily, moaning and whimpering at the taste. The woman in my arms weakened; her frightened thoughts lulling into nothingness as I drained her quickly and greedily._

_And when her body sagged against me, lifeless, I crushed her form to me, drinking with even more haste._

_It was only a few moments after I'd finished that I realized exactly what I had done._

I opened my eyes, desperate to get away from the memory of what I had done. Though it had been nothing short of heaven at the time, it was now my living nightmare. Sure, it felt amazing but… it still made me a monster.

Right?

I wasn't so sure anymore.

_**oOoOo**_

Volterra was beautiful, of course. In the middle of the country, it looked… well, fucking spectacular. The creamy coloured walls that seemed to glow in the sun were just ethereal.

I sighed as I looked at the entrance, eyeing it.

This was it. This was the place that I would die.

Part of me was sad, angry at myself for making this happen to myself. The other part knew that it wasn't _really _my fault; it was just what I was. The monster was me.

The thoughts of other vampires came to me, hitting me and I frowned as I listened to what they were thinking.

_Alright, I smell someone. Let's hope this is him, _one particular vampire – a male – thought and I frowned, breathing in deeply. When I could smell no other vampire, my frown deepened at the same time that confusion setting in. Were they talking about me? And if so, what the fuck did they want?

Unconsciously, instincts kicked in and my muscles clenched as I became alert to those around me. The impulse to fight any vampire who came my way kicked in and I breathed in several deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

_I can't believe the Queen has us on this ridiculous job, _the petulant thoughts of a female vampire rung out. _If he's so important to her, why doesn't she do something? God, I have to stop. Don't need her to rip me to shreds._

_Alright, come on, _these thoughts belonged to yet another vampire. He was also male, but he was buff, sure of himself. Smug, even. _This'll be easy… let's get this shit done. Maybe if I'm the one who finds him, Isabella will give me the reward._

For some reason, the sight of him fucking the Queen infuriated me. A growl, low so no one could hear it no matter how good their hearing was, ripped from my throat before I could help it and I was instantly confused.

Why the fuck did that bother me?

I shrugged it off. Looking around to make sure no one was watching me. When I had scanned all the thoughts of both humans and vampires and discovered that no one was paying attention to me, I ran forward with all of my speed, heading straight for the headquarters of the Volturi.

I walked in the doors and looked around. I saw a vampire at the desk, which looked promising.

"Hi," I said, leaning over the desk. There were a few humans in the room for whatever reason, so I was careful to make sure they couldn't hear me. Just in case. "I'd like to see the Volturi royals, please."

The vampire looked at me for a moment, up and down as if looking for something. "Name?"

His voice was cold, unimpressionable, but it didn't faze me.

"Edward," I said simply, looking straight back at him. I had to admit, I was a little surprised by my confidence.

The vampire's lips formed a hard line and he raised a sardonic eyebrow, "got a last name there, buddy?"

I frowned. Why the fuck would this fucker care? "Yeah, why?"

He snorted. "The Volturi like to know who they're talking to. _Exactly_."

I huffed, but controlled myself. "Fine, I'm Edward Masen, alright?"

His eyes sparked and he smiled, "wait just a moment."

He whipped out a phone, oblivious to the humans in the room and dialled a number. On the other line, the vampire, I would presume, answered on the first ring. I could hear it all as if the guy was in the same room and not on the phone.

"Alec," the vampire-receptionist said, eyeing me. "I've got a visitor for the Volturi; an Edward Masen. I need you to accompany him to the Throne room."

The male on the other line answered immediately. "Alright, I'll be right there. Should I call the Queen?"

The man in front of me smirked. "No, don't worry about it."

Internally, I wondered what that was about, but I brushed it aside. It didn't matter right now; nothing but my impending death did.

Soon, the guy – Alec – appeared. He walked up to me, looked me over just as the receptionist before him and then turned around and started walking.

I scoffed, but followed and soon, I found myself in the throne room.

"Wait here," Alec said, but he made no move to leave the room.

A few minutes of silence passed and I wondered what was going on.

But then, I smelled something and it, damn, it lit a fire deep within me. I growled as lust hit me like a wrecking ball and I gasped in quick breaths, needing more of the scent.

_Mine_.

The thought made me gasp and I froze. _What was going on here? _I thought to myself, but I didn't care. Suddenly, I didn't want to die. I knew that if I did, I'd be leaving someone behind and I wanted-no, I _needed _to be with that person; whoever they were.

A force – an otherworldly, _insistent _force – hit me, and I felt something tugging me toward this creature, this vampire.

I growled. _Where are they? Where is this person? _My mind begged for someone to answer me, but I couldn't speak.

I felt myself grow hard at the scent, especially when a sweeter scent combined with it. I recognized what it was instantly and I felt it as the being came closer.

The force with which I felt these cravings, these needs, made me fall to ground. My body vibrated with the impulse to find this vampire, the object of my obsession.

And then, she was here. I felt her as she entered the room, only to whimper.

Frantic to know what had caused her distress, I looked toward the door I had come through. My eyes connected with beautiful, red eyes. My eyes coveted her body for the short second that I allowed myself, and I took in her glorious physique eagerly.

But it wasn't enough. I needed more. I needed her bare before me and fuck, I wanted to make love to her, to fuck her…

I _needed _to.

That thought in that moment made it clearer than anything. I knew who this was… what this was. It was my mate.

One word rung through in my thoughts.

_Mine._

* * *

**Alright. Now, I know that wasn't any good but that's because it's Edward. He doesn't come through all that easily and I'm pretty sure that's because he's a guy. :D**

**Now, please read and review… and you'll get a small preview of the next chapter.**

**Oh, and just to, you know… egg you on: the vamp sex in the next chapter… it's **_**hot**_**.**

**Bye now,**

**bexie25**


	4. Come Out To Play

**Hello dear readers, remember me?**

**I'm sorry it's taken this long, I was focused on my other stories. I've now completed - except for a special AN - a story that was taking a lot of time because it was a drabble.**

**I won't keep you long as what I really want to say is in the AN down the bottom. Please read it, it's really important because it DOES concern this story. I am quite happy with this chapter and I want to hear what you think after you read the AN down below!**

**I hope it's hot enough for you, because it sure as fuck was for me!**

* * *

The need to kiss him became too much in that moment, so I did what my desire and what my mate's inner calling told me to and kissed him.

Whatever I was prepared for, it certainly was not this. As soon as our lips met, need was the only thing that I – and I'm sure Edward – felt. It was so powerful that a growling purr forced itself from between my lips and all I could do was deepen the kiss.

I moaned when Edward licked at my lip, pulling and nipping it with his teeth. Then, without warning, his tongue forced itself into my mouth and I growled, kissing him back with double the amount of force that he did. When he noticed this, he became even more excited and I purred wantonly when I felt his cock twitch against my throbbing parts. I hadn't even realized that I'd hoisted myself up and wrapped myself around him like a vice.

Edward's hands were suddenly on my ass and my head fell back when he roughly grounded my core against his cock. Breath left me in a huff and I purred, grabbing his hair and pulling on it. Edward's eyes locked on mine and I gasped at the black hue of them. They were so deep… it made me tingle in places I'd never before tingled in.

Against his lips, I whispered, "well then, we shall go to our chambers immediately."

With that said I slid down his front, not so carefully making sure my body rubbed against his thick, long cock on the way down. He growled, his top lip pulling back over in his teeth in a snarl and I hummed, licking my lips.

Edward held me fast against his body, looking down at me. His eyes, however, were soft as they regarded me, looking deeply into my eyes. "I love you, Isabella."

I hummed again and wrapped my arms around his neck. "As I love you, Edward… but time for talk is most certainly… later."

This need was too much; we would need to talk later, of course, but right now… I needed him and me in a bed… _naked_. The need itself was pushing down on me, making everything around me fade away until there was nothing but Edward and me, along with this desire and our instincts calling each other's bodies to us.

He growled, nodding and I released him, instead wrapping an arm around his waist. I smiled at his seductively, enjoying the sight of him squeezing his eyes shut as he breathed in, his chest rumbling. My licked my lips before taking his hand from my waist and leading him forward.

I took him up the steps, and to our chambers. The entire way there, we did not speak but there was no need to. All that was needed was for us to get to our chambers as soon as possible so that we could consummate our bond and join our bodies together.

The thought made me smile. I was not juvenile by any means; I knew that Edward was most certainly gifted in the girth and length of his… _appendage_. The thought of seeing him naked made my mouth water with venom, not to mention the thought of what he would be like when that beast deep within him was released.

Alas, I knew that I had work cut out for me. Sure, I may be able to bring out the beast in bed, but what of the devious, sizzling and merciless vampire that hunted humans and drank from them? That would be a little more difficult. However, I would do it. I must.

When we made it to our chambers, I smiled and turned toward my mate. He was so sexy, the way he was losing it. The sight of his hungry, black eyes watching me, his chest heaving and his jeans nearly shredded by his steel-hard cock made my panties sopping wet. And that image of him only grew better as he breathed in my arousal, smelling my need for him. By the time the door was open and we were walking toward the bedroom within the chambers, Edward's every breath was a mere _whimper_.

I turned on the lights, but quickly dimmed them. Zipping around the room, I lay on the bed on my stomach. Licking my lips and purring, my black eyes melting at the sight of my needy mate, I crooked my finger, telling him to come here.

He growled and sped over to me. Before I really knew it, I was on my back, my head on the pillows.

But, I decided to play a little harder to get. Escaping from out of his arms, I quickly jumped and landed, standing at the edge of the bed. I looked at him as his head span around to look at me. He growled, frowning before licking his lips and I smiled.

But before I was going to give myself to him, to allow him to do whatever he pleased to me and my body… I wanted the sexual beast to come out for me. I wanted him simply ravenous for my body, my touch.

I wanted to make him lose all control.

I wanted him to come out and play.

"I want my bad boy," I whispered and Edward was instantly in front of me. He was at my beck and call, instantly ready and waiting if I was to call for him. But I wanted more than that – I wanted _everything_. "I'm going to teach you everything, Edward. I know of your past… but I want to show you that it's ok…"

He frowned and leaned his head against my forehead. I kissed his cheek before moving my lips to his ear. He purred and rubbed his cheek against mine.

"I'm going to show you that it's ok to be that monster you were the night you drank from that woman," I purred into his ear. He growled at the seductive lilt in my voice, grounding his body against mine in a way that made me breathless. "I want you to do that again, I want to show you that it's ok to embrace what you are… I _want_ you to embrace what you are, Edward."

The growl that he released told me that he wasn't exactly opposed to the idea… so with a smile, I continued.

"I've seen you with red eyes, Edward." I said, cupping his face gently to make him look at me. When our eyes connected, it felt like we could see into each other's souls. "And let me tell you, my darling… it's an amazing sight – devilishly, _seductively_ sinful." I whispered into his ear, nibbling on the flesh of his ear lobe, tugging. His eyes were closed, but I could see his shield loosening with my words. "It's not all that bad to let go, you know… it can be quite fun." I licked a trail over to his lips, humming at his fucking perfect taste. "It's ok, Edward… to give in to those little voices and desires within you."

I leaned in, my lips touching his. My hands trailed down to his front and I palmed his cock; hard. "Come out, come out wherever you are, my bad boy." I sang into his ear, licking the shell of it and wrapping my lips around his earlobe… sucking.

After that last one, he was gone, instincts winning over above the man within my vampire. He growled and threw me back onto the bed, his dark eyes growing even darker. I moaned, throwing my head back at the same time that he attacked my neck with his tongue and lips.

I growled, clawing at him. Holding and tugging on his hair, I wrapped my legs around his waist and pressing down on his hard, thick cock.

"What a big boy," I purred into his ear and he moaned as I licked the shell of his ear. I smiled; he did rather like that. I rubbed against his cock and he growled, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in through his mouth, tasting my need for him in the air. "Hmm? You gonna come out to play, baby? I want my big bad vampire to have his wicked way with me…"

I trailed off when he looked into my eyes, his black ones beseeching my own. Black to black, it was a whirlwind of desire as we removed the last of each other's clothes roughly; ripping them into shreds in a matter of milliseconds.

"Perfect," he purred and I looked back at him.

His eyes were on my breasts and I watched him, mewling as he leaned down and wrapped his lips around my left nipple. Air huffed out of me as he bit on it, his other hand's fingers plucking and pulling on my right nipple, just as his teeth and tongue played with the other.

_Ecstasy_.

My hands came up to his hair again and he leaned back to look at me. There was a predator there in his eyes; a sinful, merciless one and I couldn't wait for our eternity after this… an eternity of bringing out that predator and playing with him in every way that I had never experienced before.

"Beautiful," he said, looking at my body, but focusing on a few choice spots; my breasts, my face and my sopping core. "You're perfect… and you're fucking _mine_," he growled and I licked my lips.

"Yours, my love," I said against his lips, "Always."

He smirked. "That's right; your mine for the rest of our fucking eternity."

"Yes," I hummed sexily, biting my lip as I already knew he loved. Not at all to my surprise, he growled and leaned down, tugging on my bottom lip with his teeth. When he'd released it from my teeth, he kissed me again and I couldn't help but grind against him; anywhere I could fucking reach.

He leaned back, a smirk on his face.

"Problem there, baby?" He whispered against my lips.

I whimpered, "I want you… all of you." My hands were clawing at his body, not knowing where to touch him first.

He smiled sweetly, but there was a sinful edge there that made me groan out a "fuck." He growled but said, "What part of me do you want first?"

I mewled, "I don't know."

He smiled and hummed then began licking and kissing wetly down my neck and down the valley of my breasts. I leaned up on my elbows to watch what he was doing, whimpering, licking my lips when I felt and saw his tongue sweep out to draw lazy patterns on my belly. The muscles contracted the lower he got until finally, _finally_, he was there.

I bent my knees up and spread my legs and watched him as he licked his lips, glancing up at me from behind his eyelashes.

"You're mine," he said softly but forcefully. "All of you," he said, his fingers reaching my wet, throbbing core at last.

I moaned breathily, my head falling back for a moment.

And then his mouth and tongue was there, against my engorged bundle of nerves and I couldn't do anything but shout as my head snapped back up to look down at him.

I whimpered at the sight of my mate right there, pleasuring me.

His eyes were on me and I could feel his smirk as he licked and sucked on my bundle of nerves, making the muscles in my legs twitch.

I groaned a growl, swallowing back venom before biting on my lip when he sped up his movements, bringing me to the brink effortlessly.

Just as I came to the brink, he thrust two fingers into me, the force of his movements pushing me over the edge.

"Mine," I shouted out in pleasure as I came, my hands interwoven on his hair, pulling and he growled as I came on his tongue and lips, lapping my juices up emphatically, moaning appreciatively.

When he was done, I looked at him, just catching him in time to watch as he licked his lips, looking directly at me. He was enjoying himself, clearly teasing me and I swallowed.

_Two can play at that game, baby, _I thought at him, but unfortunately, he could not hear me.

In retaliation, I licked my now dry lips before I pulled myself up to lean back on my elbows to give me some height. Edward purred, calling me and I purred in return as he crawled slowly and seductively up between my legs. When his face was level with mine, I smiled and hummed, turning my head to side to kiss him.

We kissed languidly and thoroughly, tongues battling for dominance and I groaned when I felt his pulsating cock pressing against my entrance. I began to ache; the feeling of him right there, and yet not _close _enough driving me in sane. For years I had only his scent and the picture of him in my mind to go by… and now, he was here with me.

All I wanted was to be one with him, to lose control and fuck him… to bite him and claim him.

To make love to him.

Over and over and over again.

"Edward, please," I begged, wrapping my arms and legs around him. We purred and growled as the sudden movement caused him to slip _just the tip _of his cock inside me. My hands moved to his hair and I tugged, making his head fly back and I smiled as I eyed his neck.

Leaning up, half-smiling, I licked a path around where I intended to place my first mating mark. Closing my mouth – and therefore, teeth – loosely around his neck, I hummed when he growled. I pressed an open-mouthed kiss against what was once his pulse-point.

Edward thrust against my entrance, softly at first, but growing in momentum with each thrust.

I growled, frustrated, "_Now_."

He chuckled and skimmed his lips against my cheek. "As you wish," he said and then… he _slammed _in.

I screamed, arching my back. I growled his name ferociously as he started moving, my hands grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his head down to me – not so gently – into a fierce, possessive lip-lock.

As we made fast, hard love, yells of 'mine' and 'yours' were heard I'm sure through the entire castle. I didn't care and neither did Edward – we were both too fucking gone to care as we claimed each other, learned each other's bodies and marked the other with our scent.

His thrusts were relentless, hard and unforgiving as he claimed me, my body. His name was branding itself across my soul and my heart and before long, we were there… right there, at the edge.

"Edward," I gasped, and he smirked down at me.

"Do it," he urged, begging me and I smiled up at him. I kissed his lips, flipped us over so I was straddling him and bit him over his heart, pressing lips to it as I did so.

The feeling of branding him as mine over his heart – something that was mine, forever and always – was amazing and I couldn't get enough of him as I sucked some of his venom into my mouth.

He growled and arched his back and I knew the feelings that he was surely feeling was something close to ecstasy, similar to what I was experiencing.

I moved my lips up his body, to his neck and, after kissing it and licking it, I bit down. Hard.

He roared as he came.

But all of that was not at the forefront of my mind, my instincts, my thoughts. As the venom of my mate entered my body, I groaned in pleasure. If anything, the taste of him was enough to make me come, screaming, but I held off as best I could.

I only wanted to come when _he _marked _me_.

Sitting up, straddling Edward, I looked down and stroked my mating marks. I licked my lips at the sight of them, smiling when Edward moaned at the feeling of my fingers brushing against them.

"Mine," I whispered strongly, looking at Edward's face.

His eyes opened and he grinned at me as he sat up. "Yours, darling. Forever yours."

* * *

**Alright, everyone. It's been way too long since I updated this story last and a few things have happened that I need to tell you all about.**

**First of all, don't worry – this was the first part of their first time. I will, of course, have another chapter to continue straight after this so yes, we will be reading as Bella gets bitten by her sexy Edward.**

**Second of all, did we all like this chapter? I'm not so sure about it, so give me your opinion – it really is valued and if you do review… sneak peeks into the next chapter (which is already partially written) will be handed out in PM's.**

**And third (finally!), I have an updating schedule. If you want the long explanation of how it works, go over to my profile page and the info is all there. To cut a long story short, because this story falls into the category of medium sized chapters – 2000 words to 5000 words – it will be updated every two weeks. Yes, that's right! This schedule is already helping me to keep track and be on time, meaning more chapters for you with less time in between!**

**The day determined is Wednesday, but I'm giving you this chapter a day early because of how long it's been since the last one (just over one whole fucking month!)**

**And so… I will see you all in reviews and then PM's for the sneak peek and reply to your reviews. Other than that, the next time you'll get a chapter is:**

**18****TH ****of July.**

**Please review for the sneak peek!**

**bexie25**


	5. Yours

**Hello**

**This is early, I know, and you'll find out why down the bottom. :)**

**Just to let you know, Bella in this chapter is softer. She's feeling overwhelmed – slightly – by her love for her mate and therefore is not what she was last chapter. However, Edward is like what she was like in the last chapter because whilst she has marked him, he has yet to mark her. He'll mark her here, but I just wanted to warn you that you were going to see a more loving, feminine Bella as opposed to the Femme Fatale, rather seductive and ruthless vamp she is.**

**You will see her soon, however. And of course, Bella will be unearthing that monster in Edward as well.**

**Also, here's the link to the banner: **s1108 . photobucket albums / h411 / bexie25 / Banners%20for%20Stories / ?action=view¤t=FemmeFatalebanner . jpg

**It's a sexy thing, isn't it? I love it though… I think it shows what I wanted. But… this story is not all about the sex, it's just that Bella is a seductive, deadly woman (hence Femme fatale)**

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Edward's arms encircled my waist, pulling me closer and we purred as the action slipped him further into me. I nuzzled my nose against his cheek softly, my mouth closed as I breathed through my nose, letting him feel my breath on his hard flesh.

He looked at me, pulling his face back slightly, leaning his forehead against mine. "I love you," he whispered, looking at me with powerful, loving, strong and black eyes.

I smiled, swallowing. "You don't know how long I've waited for this…" I said, trailing off as he began to move me up and down on him, softly, slowly. I purred, arching my back and his lips wrapped around my pert nipple, biting down softly as flicking it at the same time. I moaned, snapping my head back up to look at him. "You don't know how long I've waited for _you_. _My _mate."

"Yours," he said, his eyes flashing with a fierce fire of love and I smiled, recognizing it immediately. "I want you to do that, Edward. I want you to let go – be the monster you've got hidden within you," I purred, leaning into him again and brushing my lips against the shell of his ear. "You are mine and I am yours. You can do anything you want with me – and I want you to let go."

He growled, his hands letting go of my hips, coming up and grabbing my cheeks. He pulled me to him, forcing his tongue in my mouth, our lips slamming against each other as we swallowed moans and growls and purrs. When he pulled away from the kiss, he looked at me, raising a dangerous, sexy eyebrow. "Is that what you fucking wanted, darling?"

I smiled, humming and nodding my head, "Absolutely, my love… but I also want it _harder_."

I gripped his forearms, digging my nails into them. He hissed and growled, throwing his head back as he drove up into me harder, deeper, losing any inhibitions he may have had. I groaned and growled, clawing at him as he did the same to me.

It was unstoppable. We couldn't do anything but this. It was feral, hard fucking… claiming and possessive and yet also loving.

In short, it was everything I'd ever wanted and more; endlessly _more_.

"Edward," I gasped, arching my back and moaning loudly, whimpering and biting my lip. "Please. Please mark me – make me yours."

Edward growled at the words and I looked back over at it, looking into his eyes strongly, unwaveringly. "Mine," he growled out, smirking at me when I gasped at the look of ferocity in his eyes. I swallowed, cocking my head to the side, arching my back and neck to give him access.

It was also an offering. I wanted him to do this; I wanted him to mark me as his, to make it apparent to anyone who came our way that he was mine and I was, of course and irrevocably, his. I always would be.

From the corner of my eyes – the _absolute _corner – I could see him licking his lips as he eyed my neck and chest.

"Do it," I whispered, my hands weaving through his hair and tugging it down toward me. "Mark me, Edward. Make it visible to everyone that I'm taken, that I'm only yours forever."

He looked up at me, licking his eyes and swallowing, his eyes flickering between my eyes, my neck and my chest. I knew that he couldn't decide where to mark me first, so I helped him.

"My heart, darling," I said, smiling at him alluringly. He growled, but I continued anyway, "If it were beating it would beat only for you. Mark me there, for only yourself to ever see, and then my neck for all others to see, sweetheart."

His eyes ignited further, burning brightly and he thrust a few more times sharply, hard and fast into me before he grunted and growled, burying his face against my breast.

He licked and sucked at it and only when he looked into my eyes did he bite down.

I'd thought that whilst bitten and claimed, marked, in that way would be pleasurable, it wouldn't be anything near doing the actual claiming. And I was right, at least partially. Whilst it was whole other thing to be claiming your mate, biting into their hard flesh, tasting their sweet, sweet venom… it was on the other end of the pleasure scale to be bitten; pleasurable in a whole other way, yet just as much.

At first, it was a sharp pain, but that quickly fell away and I was blind-sighted by pleasure. The sensation of him drawing my venom from my body, consuming a part of me as I had done to him was ethereal. It was… I was unable to describe it, but it was simply exonerating to feel claimed, possessed and taken. No longer would I look for someone for I finally had my mate.

It made me feel… happy, lighter… and, somehow, stronger and fiercer than ever. I felt like I was home, finally at ease.

And as Edward pulled away from my breast and dragged his wet lips up to my neck to bite down… I felt him relax as I had when I'd marked him.

When we were both marked and claimed, we looked into each other's eyes, sitting there, wrapped in each other. Our connection was stronger than it had been even when we'd first seen each other, only those few hours ago. Or was it really hours ago? It only felt like it, I was sure.

It felt like we could read each other's thoughts, but I knew that we could not.

There was only one stream of thought going through our minds, I'm sure it was in sync.

_Mine._

_Yours._

_Forever._

_Always._

_Eternally._

_**oOoOo**_

"You're beautiful when you come," Edward said, licking the last of my essence from his lips as he nestled between my legs, gloriously hard. He smirked and leaned in, his lips touching mine as he whispered, "And you taste fucking _divine_."

After a few more rounds of licking then fucking, we'd officially come to a stop… for now. We were content in just being in each other's arms for a while.

"How?" He asked a while later and I sat up, moaning as the action caused him to slip deeper within me.

I purred as I looked down at him, my eyes connecting and locking into his, "How about what my darling?"

"How have you seen me with red eyes?" He asked, sitting up and latching onto my neck, sucking hard as he gripped my hips. He started to guide me, thrusting into me and I clawed at his back, kissing him deeply as he thrust repeatedly into me with good, hard but gentle, loving thrusts.

This new position was so intimate and calming, his arms encasing me, housing me.

It was glorious.

Unlike our first time, this was making love; it was about love rather than claiming and need and instinct.

And when we came… it was crying out one another's name, clinging to each other for we knew that our very lives depended on it; depended on our connection.

We settled down onto the bed, finally and completely sated.

For now, at least.

* * *

**I know each chapter is supposed to be at least 2000 words, but I thought that the length of this one was perfect. The next chapter will probably be more than 2000 words, just letting you know. That's actually the reason why I'm giving you this chapter early. :)**

**We only got a few reviews for the last chapter – 5. Can you give me some more? *smiles innocently* I'd love to know what you think of the last two chapters. **

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	6. Love and Revelations

**Hello!**

**So, here's this chapter. Things are starting to be set in motion and we've got a little bit of a cliff-hanger but that's ok. There's a lemon to make up for it and looksy here, it's right at the beginning! *smirks***

**Thanks everyone for reviewing and reading! I'm glad that you're liking this and I want to know more of what you think so keep it up!**

**Not much to say, but there's an AN down the bottom. :)**

* * *

We stayed in bed, wrapped around each other, for hours, days on end. Conversations were few and far between, always of little important or substance.

Edward's arms were wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him. I was straddling his hips, his cock still deep inside me. My chin was resting on his chest as we looked into each other's eyes.

The thought of being separated – from being detached – right now, was not welcome. The feeling of Edward's arms around me and of his chest under my palms, my fingers – which were currently running up and down his chest, occasionally flicking his nipples to which he growled – was sensational, euphoric. To be without it would be uncomfortable, I was sure.

Edward hummed a moan when my hips rocked slightly as I sat up on him. His cock slid into me further and I licked my lips, throwing my head back and arching my back slightly at the feeling.

I heard Edward's growl and in that next moment, Edward was sitting up. His arms tightened around my waist, once running down to my hip to help me as I moved over him. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as he kissed up and down – licking, torturous, heated and nipping bites – my neck.

My hands weaved into his head and I pulled him forward, wrapping my arms tighter around his waist and squeezing. I whimpered at what that did to our connected bodies, only to gasp a moan when he grabbed my hair and pulled it back, tugging on it harshly.

I smiled, thinking to myself. _He really is letting go. I can't wait for when he does it completely._

"Mine," he growled against my skin, under his breath, over and over. His lips ghosted against the mark he left on my skin, the mating mark and I growled and whimpered and moaned as his tongue traced it, lapping at it first gently and steadily getting harder and stronger and more determined.

I smiled, moving my hips, rocking back and forth sensually; slow enough for him to feel it all, but fast enough for it to still be pleasurable, "Hmm, _yours_, big boy… _all_ yours."

His lips curved against my skin, his warm breath affecting me in a way that I could not name. Suddenly, everything was on fire and… and, quite simply, I needed him.

Instincts are there to guide us… and right now, my instincts were telling me to claim my mate as mine.

I growled and lifted my head back up, my eyes connecting with his. I smirked and licked my lips, smashing my lips to his, forcing my tongue in his mouth. This was allowed for only a minute before I wrenched my lips off his and tugged hard on his hair, his head falling back with a groan.

I hummed as I leaned in and smelled his skin. He smelled like honey, sunshine – his usual scent – as well as sex and now… well, me. I knew that I also smelled like him as his venom ran in my veins and mine in his. It was one of the sexiest things I've ever smelled.

He thrust into me, having pulled back till nearly just his tip was still in me. I growled and groaned, clawing at him.

Suddenly, I found myself on my back. Edward was on top of me, pushing me down into the mattress. I wrapped my legs around his hips, placing them strategically so the angle made him hit my g-spot with every thrust.

We were unrecognizable. We were animals, lusting after each other, claiming one another. As we came, our teeth sunk into Edward others shoulders and the screams and roars we released were muffled against each other's skin.

_**oOoOo**_

"Darling, you still haven't answered my question," Edward said and my eyes flashed up to his. He was smiling, his eyes closed. I could see that he was utterly and completely content; blissful.

"And what is that?" I asked. I was kissing – wet, open-mouthed, licking and sucking kisses – up his chest. I flicked both nipples with my tongue and finally settled above him, straddling him, my body covering every inch of him as he had again and again in the last twenty-four hours.

He hummed, his hands running up my sides; I purred shamelessly. "You make it difficult for me to think, love."

I smiled, "that's what I'm supposed to do… and that's what I want. I don't want you to think; I want you to just be… do… and act." I emphasized each of these words with a kiss to his chest.

Edward licked his lips. "This is very important."

"Then say it," I whispered in his ear, sucking on his earlobe. He groaned and gripped my sides, his length already hard as steel within me.

"You said you'd seen me with red eyes," he said simply, looking into my eyes, not even blinking. "I want to know how. I've never seen you or met you before; I know that if I had, I'd never have left you even for a second. Nor would I forget you."

I smiled, "some members of the guard are important and they have gifts. A few are close enough to me that I trust them and I have befriended them. There is a woman named Alice Whitlock – her husband is Jasper Whitlock, and he also has a gift – but Alice has visions of the future."

Edward looked at me, his hand coming up to brush the hair away from my face. I smiled and leaned into his touch, pushing against his hand and purring which in turn made him purr. "And this woman," he began slowly, his fingers tracing my skin. "This woman has seen… me?"

I smiled, "since the day you were born."

His eyebrows rose up, flying up in surprise. "Twenty years?" He spluttered and I chuckled.

"Yes," I said, kissing his nipples. "Twenty years."

He sat there for a moment, his lips pursed. I continued to kiss his chest, just because I could and I fucking well wanted to, but it did not affect him in the slightest.

I stopped and looked up at him, "Love?"

His eyes flickered down to mine, and he smiled. "Can I ask you something?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "I assure you that you can ask me anything, darling." I raised a little on him, straddling him, my nails racking down his chest. Our eyes stayed on each other until Edward closed his and I decided to stop. It seemed that Edward had wanted to know the answer to this particular question for a while.

He smiled, biting his lip. "You're too far away," he whispered and I shivered at the burning love in his eyes. Melting into his embrace as he pulled me down so we were chest to chest again, I revelled at how long I'd been waiting for this… to be able to feel this. And I revelled in how amazing it actually felt; better than I thought it would.

"Ask me," I breathed and Edward licked his lips, groaning at the taste of my breath on his lips.

"This isn't the question I had in mind, but how are we supposed to manage this?" He asked, looking up at me. "I can't think of not having you with me, naked, all the time. How can we find balance?'

I smiled softly. "My brothers and their mates struggled with that, as well. And I assure you, I am feeling exactly that for you right now as well." I sighed, looking into his eyes. "We will find a balance Edward. I cannot tell you how and when, but we'll figure out a way for it to work with us rather than against us. And don't think that when we do find balance and we are sure enough to control ourselves that it'll be easy, or a walk in the park."

I smirked down at him. "There will still be times where I'll just want to sink to my knees in front of you, or where you'll want to bend me over my throne, or a couch… or take me against the wall. There will be times when we simply cannot control ourselves and we'll need each other more than air. I'm looking forward to those times, Edward."

He nodded and kissed the base of my neck, right at the spot where it connected with my shoulder. I moaned, threading one hand through his hair and smiling as he nibbled softly on my skin there.

Then I leaned back. "This doesn't seem to be working, darling. I think we need to get dressed" – Edward growled and pulled me closer to him, nestling his length farther within me. I could barely hold back my moan, but I continued – "I think we need to get dressed and talk about what you wanted to talk about. It seems important to you."

"We don't have to," Edward said, longing in his voice. His lips – his tongue – trailed against the skin of my neck and down to my shoulder, then back up again. "And I really don't want you to cover your-beautiful-self up just yet, love."

I swallowed, "What my mate wants," I purred seductively, "my mate gets."

He smiled, licking his lips and moaning as he leaned his forehead against mine. "Come, love. Let's talk about this, please."

"What was your question?" I asked him, waiting with a smile on my face. I wrapped my arms around his neck and waited for his response.

"How do Alice's visions work?" He asked me softly, curiosity showing in his expression, his eyes; the set of his mouth.

I smiled indulgently. "Alice's visions are… intriguing, I suppose. She sees things and when the person who is the object of the vision – or a decision made by someone that this vision effects – changes, the vision either changes or disappears."

Edward's eyes were shining with interest. "Does that mean that she saw every little thing about me?"

I smiled, "Every little thing," I whispered, looking into his eyes. It was so surreal to see my mate, my Edward here with me; to feel him in my arms.

Edward frowned and muttered something so low under his breath that even I couldn't hear it. I leaned my forehead against his and asked, "Is something wrong?"

He breathed in and out, the breath flushing onto my face and I swallowed back the venom that had automatically pooled in my mouth at the taste and smell of _him_.

Finally, he looked into my eyes and said, "Bella, I'm not perfect."

I arched an eyebrow at him, "No one is, love."

He swallowed, "I know that, but… the things that I have done." The pain and anguish in his voice made me whimper and as he looked down, my hands flew from around his neck to cup his face, making him look into my eyes.

"Edward, I've told you this before," I said after looking in his eyes in a moment of silence. "I've told you that it's perfectly fine to give in to that nature. I've told you that it doesn't make you a monster. I do this, I kill humans for breakfast, lunch and dinner… do you think me a monster?"

His eyes, which had been unfocused, came alive with strong, virtuous emotion; "No, never!"

"Exactly," I said fiercely, looking into his eyes. "So what makes you the monster, Edward? Yes, this _Carlisle Cullen_" – I sneered the name with hatred, my lip curling back. If I ever found that creature, I'd rip him to shreds for making my mate feel this way about himself – "told you that it's wrong to kill humans, but that does not make it true! It is his prerogative to think that way, my darling. Just because he forced his views unto you does not make you viable to not break them! It doesn't mean that you must follow his ways, Edward. If you want human blood, you take it. It's a vampire's nature. It does not mean that we play god or against him. Blood keeps us alive and human blood makes us stronger. Let go, Edward, and be the ferocious, sexy devil that I know you can be!"

I was growling out the words by the end of it, needing to convince him. No longer did I want him to think like this. Mr Cullen's way of life may work for him, but it doesn't for Edward. I knew that already; just by looking at him.

I continued, however. I had to get him to see my side. "Dammit, Edward! I hate this man for what he's done to you. I had every guard here on watch for you! I had every one of them waiting for you to come here so you couldn't slip through my fingers! And yet, still, you nearly did. Tell me, my darling, I'm sure of it now! I'm sure that someone worked against you when you came here, Edward. What happened?"

He told me.

He explained the strange behaviours of the vampire man at the desk and when he called down the man – Alec – who took him to the throne room and kept him there. He told me that Alec's thoughts were nervous and that he was thinking that he'd get in trouble for this.

As I listened, I became more and more enraged. Someone had worked against my mate! Someone had nearly made me lose him forever.

And once again, my instincts came to me.

I could not stop the roar of anger that swept through me in that moment.

Whoever had decided to play against me and disobey me, the message is simple.

_Beware_.

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**Ooh lala! What's going on, here, eh? Don't worry, it will all be cleared up next chapter... methinks. *holds up a finger then dashes over to Femme Fatale file on laptop***

**Yes, yes, it's gonna be cleared up next chapter. Well, this immediately problem, that is. Next chapter is close to completion, but I'm still sticking to the schedule. I must. :)**

**Please review and I'll see you in two weeks!**

**bexie25**


	7. Force to Be Reckoned With

**Hi Everyone!**

**Here's the next chapter. This almost didn't get out, but luckily enough, it was already half written...**

**I hope you like it and I'll see you down the bottom. :)**

* * *

The anger I felt was indescribable. Edward watched me nervously as I got up and dressed in my standard black, long dress. This time, however, I was mindful to dress concealing… or at least, more so than I did before I met my Edward.

After all, whilst I was killing the bastard who disobeyed my orders, I didn't want my mate to feel uncomfortable.

"Bella, darling," Edward whispered, getting up off the bed. He got dressed as well, putting on his jeans and I looked at him, noting that his shirt was in tethers of the ground.

"Come," I sighed, taking his hand. I dragged him over to the wardrobe and opened it. I sifted through it quickly, taking out a black shirt and handing it to him. He seemed shocked that I had clothes for him, if not a little put out… but I knew that he thought it wasn't especially for him.

"They're for you," I said, smiling faintly up at him, my anger subsiding momentarily. "I've never had a man here – or even within the castle walls – except for you, my love." I cupped his cheek and he purred, leaning in to my touch.

"I hope so," he said, opening his eyes slowly, his gaze piercing. "I'd hate to have to hunt them down and kill them."

I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Don't worry, my love," I purred, leaning in and looking up into his eyes seductively. "I'm yours and only yours and you don't need to worry about that."

"Good," he growled lowly, sexily and I groaned at the sound of his possessive nature.

"We don't have time, darling," I growled, arching my body into his, weaving my hands into his hair. "We can do this later, Edward. Right now, however, we need to get down there." I smiled wickedly, sinisterly. "It's time for me to have a little chat with the guard."

_**oOoOo**_

After another round… or two… of fucking, Edward and I finally made it down the stairs. As soon as I stopped in front of Gianna's desk, I cleared my throat and raised an eyebrow at her.

"The intercom," I said, holding out my hand.

She swallowed and handed it to me. I bared my teeth for the fun of it, smirking wickedly when she gulped a whimpering sound. When I laughed, she flinched and scrambled away and into her seat.

I turned on the intercom, making sure to show my anger as I spoke. "All members of the guard are to come down to the throne room immediately. Anyone who doesn't appear – and I _will_ know – will be fired."

With that, I put down the intercom and took Edward's hand, dragging him to the throne room. My brothers and their mates were already there and I decided that now was better than ever to introduce them to my mate.

"Brothers," I said, smiling at them. They nodded at me, smiles of their own on their faces. Didyme, too, had a smile on her face that was caring and happy… the other two that I don't care enough about to utter their names glaring slightly at me. The sensations of their anger made my shield ripple, vibrating slightly but I didn't react. I was perfectly used to it.

Edward noticed, of course, and growled at them, raising a sexy eyebrow. They gasped but composed themselves and I smirked, kissing Edward's neck right at his mating mark. He purred and I purred along with him, blissed out for just a few seconds.

"Isabella," Aro's voice broke through our connection and we both huffed frustrated sighs. Edward's arm wrapped around my waist and I turned to face my brother, smiling and shaking my head.

"Alright, alright," I said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Brothers, Didyme," I said, ignoring the other two, "This is Edward, my mate." I turned to face Edward, "My love, these are my brothers; Aro, Caius and Marcus."

They all said hello to each other, shaking hands. When we could hear the members of the guard coming down the halls, we composed ourselves, settling into our cold manners. I sat in my throne chair, smiling up at Edward, whose hand rested on my shoulder as he stood behind me alongside the other's mates.

They filed in and we waited patiently as they settled and murmured, contemplating what they might be here for. Only Alec had the faintest idea and he was so worried it was ridiculous.

I watched them all, looking at them vacantly, exercising my power over them. Edward settled into the mood perfectly, but I could hear his low growls as he heard some of the things that were being thought. I slipped my arm up his and looked up at him. "Yours, darling."

That settled him down and after a few minutes, I spoke.

"Members of the guard," I said, as always, flatly. I looked at them, and felt the ripples of my shield as they reacted to my words. "Do we all remember the last time I called you hear?"

There was silence in the room. I could almost feel the tension, the worry and the nervousness of all of them as they took in what I was saying.

After a few more minutes of silence, when no one nodded or answered, I became fed up.

I growled, "Answer me."

They jumped, but nodded. Their fright made my shield ripple and shudder violently and I sighed. Smiling, I continued. "Good, and do you all remember what my _specific instructions _were?"

They seemed to gulp, but most nodded.

"And what were they?"

There was silence for a moment before one young vampire answered, his voice shaking. "You-you said that if any vampire came through the halls we had to ask their name."

I smiled at him and nodded, "That is right. As I'm sure you'd all know that the members of the guard have a criteria that they must fit. Amongst strength and possible gifts – as well as being able to fight well – there was one piece of the criteria that is _vital_." My voice was light, easy and eerie as I continued. "What is it?"

Another member of the guard, different this time – a woman – answered. Her fright, however, was just like the last vampire who answered was. "They must have no mate."

"And what happens if they meet their mate whilst they are part of the guard?" I asked her and she breathed in and out deeply.

"They are to inform one of masters, or you, Ma'am," she said carefully. "They must do this immediately and as soon as they do, they will be freed from service."

"Ah," I said, nodding. I pretended to ponder for a moment. After a minute, I got up and walked toward them. I heard Edward as he moved slightly forward, and I stopped close enough for my darling not to feel panic.

I could understand, though. I was feeling on edge as well; my brothers had told me everything of what they felt when they had found their mates, and an extraordinary anxiety when away from them or watching them with vampire's you did not know – or did know, and they weren't good – was one of them.

"Just how important is a vampire's mate to them?" I asked softly but demandingly, my right eyebrow arching as I continued looking at each of them.

They reacted as I had expected. Some merely frowned or made some remark, whilst others gave no reaction.

A young girl – and I say girl meaning late teenage years – spoke, "They are their life. If a vampire was to lose their mate – whether they had met them or not – if they knew _of_ them, they would feel the need to die, too. It is a must that they do die, for if they don't, the pain they feel is unimaginable and they become a shell of their former self."

I smiled at her and nodded, before looking out to the rest of the guard.

When I spoke once again, it was an angry shout. "And so with all this _knowledge_ you've acquired over the years of service, one of you still disobeys orders given to you. _One of you _made the mistake of not informing someone else of the guard to notify me of the fact that my mate – my _suicidal mate _– was within the castle walls. _One of you has cost yourself your life!_"

I looked up at Edward and nodded. Immediately I was in his arms and I leaned back against him. "My darling," I said loudly enough for the others to hear. Edward purred at the name and I smiled. When I spoke my tone was soft, loving, endearing but with an edge to it that clearly showed that I was angry and that the fall out after this would be bad; very bad indeed. "My darling, would you please be so kind as to tell me which one it was?"

The guard collectively gasped and the ripples of their reactions were violent, frightened, and nervous.

Edward looked around the room and not a second later, he pointed. "That one, my love."

I purred and smiled up at him. "Thank you, baby."

"You there," I growled loudly, my voice shaking with anger, deadly anger. "Come forth."

The crowd disbursed around him and he looked uneasily around the room. Finally, he came forth, the confidence that Edward had described having completely abandoned him.

I grinned sinisterly as he walked slowly toward me.

_Come, vampire_, I thought murderously. _Meet your death._

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__**So, yeah... Bella's angry. Vampire who has yet to be revealed with meet his death next chapter. :) Until then... please review. **

**See you in two weeks.**

**bexie25**


	8. Perfect Day For a Firing

**Hello Everyone,**

**I'm actually really pleased with this chapter and I hope you like it, too. I just realised yesterday that this was due today and I panicked a little before rationally realising that I could write it in less than hour if need be. As it turned out, I wrote it in less than that and I gave you a bonus, hot scene at the end for you all to (hopefully) enjoy.**

**:)**

**I've never written anything like this before and I'm honestly glad that this is how it's turning out. It's actually quite easy to write a Bella like this, funnily enough. It's not the fluff I'm used to, but it's fun anyhow. **

**See you down the bottom...**

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"Ah," I said, realising who it was as they slowly came toward me. My voice dripped with the promise of death, venom pooling as my anger spiked. "Jamie. Well, you really are one for trouble, aren't you?"

His confident, cocky nature was gone now. In its place was fright and apprehension and I smirked as it affected my shield, causing ripples to run through it with the majestic volume of his emotions.

Edward's hand was in mine and I could feel his growl as it reverberated through his chest. I scarcely kept from moaning aloud in the room, but managed. I turned to him, looking at him with lust and love letting him see just how ridiculously I was his and only his. He smirked, too, seeing this and I hummed seductively as his eyes darkened.

"My love," I murmured lovingly, "I would like you to tell me – and my brothers – in great detail what happened with this creature when you came here."

He nodded, looking into my eyes. He talked through the details of their interaction and how it was passed through to Alec; only stopping when he'd felt my presence as his mate in the castle.

"Thank you, darling," I said, smiling up at him before turning to Jamie. He cowered away from me, under the intensity of my glare and I walked forward slowly, menacingly.

I growled at him when I reached him, snapping my fingers at two of the guards that had remained at their post. With a quick signal, they moved in front of me and my eyes wandered between them and Jamie. They understood what I wanted immediately and I smiled at the sound of Jamie's groan when their hands made impact on his shoulders, pushing him down onto his knees before me.

I crouched down in front of him, close enough to in-still fear but far enough away that Edward did not feel threatened by the proximity between his mate and another male. Edward, of course, reading the thoughts of my victim, moved forward and placed a possessive hand on my shoulder.

"Mine," he growled under his breath, only at me and I smirked, humming as my eyes closed. My mate was so sexy, even without trying and I couldn't help my reaction to his possessive nature. I prayed that he'd never stop.

"Yours," I whispered hoarsely under my breath, my head snapping back to look at him. I licked my lips as my black eyes met his. When I knew that he was satisfied with my answer, my smiled seductively before snapping my head back to the death-cursed vampire in front of me.

"Before I kill you," I said slowly, lowly, my red eyes trained on him. "I want to know why you did what you did. You must have known that it would eventually result in your death and Edward would have of course been mine anyway, and I, his. So, why would you do something that ultimately guaranteed your early expiring?"

He growled, unhinged and I narrowed my eyes. His eyes were black now, but not from fear or from hunger and I read into his eyes instantly.

Of course, my love was all the faster. Before I knew it, he roared in possessiveness and I was standing behind him as he crouched in front of me, defending me and protecting me at the same time from the sure-to-be-pathetic thoughts of this young vampire.

"She's mine," he growled, his eyes black as pitch in the creature's reflective eyes. I gasped, realising the answer to my question.

_This little weasel wants me for himself! _I thought to myself, growling in spite of myself. Immediately, out of instinct, I wrapped my arms around my Edward, making him purr in delight.

"He's all yours, my darling," I said, knowing that this was what he needed, but also having an ulterior motive. If I could get him to kill another vampire in cold blood, it would get us one step closer to the gorgeous demon I wanted him to be – that I knew he was, deep down. "Kill him, my love," I purred in his ear.

He turned to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. His eyes showed his want, his need to kill the man who wanted what was rightfully and knowingly his. The feral look in his eyes made me nearly keen in want of this gorgeous, sinful specimen but I couldn't act on my lust yet. I would do so after as we celebrated the 'threats' death.

"Do it," I whispered against his lips, leaning up on my tippy toes as he leaned down. He growled and smashed his lips to mine with such force that I couldn't help but groan and I could feel his knowing smirk. Of course my darling was satisfied with his actions and my subsequent response.

He released me then, in his own time, and I moaned as he crouched before me, sauntering forward to kill the dark, delirious creature in front of him. I bit my lip hard to keep in my reactions to seeing his power and grace. He was everything I'd ever wanted in a man – I'd always known that – and I couldn't believe he was mine. But, at the same time, I was proud and possessive.

_Mine, _my thoughts chanted. _That sexy demon is mine. All mine, only mine._

I watched him as he stopped in front of the vampire, growled and grabbed his forearms. It was not much of a fight and even then, my arousal increased as I watched his act of dominance, power and possession. This fight would tell everybody to not fuck with him; it would tell them all of his claim over me and perhaps mine over him.

It was something that every vampire – male or female – wanted. To show their claim and even if they had to do so whilst fighting in their mates honour, they would do so. This man had wanted Edward dead so he could have me, and Edward had been rightfully infuriated by the mere thought. He'd needed to show his feelings on that notion and he did so powerfully and without restraint.

My mind marvelled at the sight of them fighting. _Just think of all the possibilities, _the femme fatale within me purred, moaning in desire. _Think of what he'll be like when he's fully accepted the feral monster within him. He'll be unstoppable… so powerful and sinful. So in control…_

She droned on within me as I watched him, my eyes noting every little thing about him and his body as he fought this idiot. My mind blocked out the dull, half-hearted attempts that the other man followed through with, watching the majesty that was my Edward.

I smiled and smirked at each sound that escaped Jamie as he was methodically ripped and shredded into pieces. First an arm, then a calf, then an ear, a hand, another leg, another arm… until eventually, he lay in several pieces, scattered around the room.

There were murmurs from my brothers and their mates as they expressed how impressed they were by my mate's strength and stealth. We could all feel the palpable, touchable fear that was instilled in the guard, hanging throughout the room like an ornament.

"You are fired," he said lowly, separating each word, spitting them at the wriggling parts of Jamie. The anger was still clear in his voice as he grabbed up the shredded limbs and parts of Jamie, tossing them in the fire pit that had already been lit on my call. I smiled at his terminology, loving that he'd accepted that and marvelling at the power he displayed when he turned to the rest of the guard. "If any of you want to follow his example, I will know. Don't think I won't and don't think that you won't end up just like your buddy here. Any day is a perfect day for a firing."

He smirked at them, raising an eyebrow to settle the warning within them. They nodded and murmured in agreement before he finally dismissed them. My brothers and their mates all smirked at me knowingly – well, except for Athenodora and Sulpicia – as they walked out of the room, hurrying up to their chambers.

I was panting with need and lust for my mate as I looked at him. He, too, was breathing harshly and when he turned to me, I purred like a cat at the sight of his hard cock straining against the zipper on his jeans. I pointed at him and growled, "Off."

And so, he stripped for me. He would not allow me to take anything off, wanting to do that for himself as he had yet to really savour it whilst he removed my clothing, but he sure did give a good show when he removed his clothing.

As soon as his lower half was uncovered, I growled at the sight of his leaking, weeping length. "Mine," I said, my eyes black with need, and lust and possession as our eyes connected.

He smirked at me, cocking an eyebrow, "All yours, my Isabella."

I hummed, "that's right," I purred. My eyes snapped from his cock to his eyes and I demanded, "Bring it to me."

In the blink of an eye, he was standing before me, my lips centimetres away from his cock. He whimpered when my hand made a fist around it and I stealthily slid my eyes up his form, making eye contact with him as I sunk my mouth over his firm length.

I moaned at the taste of his desire for me, greedily lapping at the slit the pre-cum has slipped through. His fingers threaded through my hair and he fisted it, forcing more of himself down my throat as I began to suck hungrily.

Within minutes, his slick, tasty cum slid down my throat. He grabbed me up, ripping the clothes from my body. He was already hard again as he sped us toward my throne chair. He settled me on it hastily, my legs hanging on either side as he spread me before him. I moaned at the sound of his husky, possessive growl as he leaned down to suck at my throbbing pussy.

Before I could press him into me further and keep him there, he was gone again, his cock replacing his mouth. He gripped my ass, squeezing it and growling "mine" as he thrust deeply into me.

I screamed, arching my back as he began thrusting in an unrelenting, maddening pace. I was growing insane from all the feelings that coursed through me and I gripped his shoulders as I thrust down in sync with him.

Suddenly, his mouth descended on my nipple and he bit it, re-opening his mating mark. I screamed again, coming instantly, shouting my claim over him. As I rode out the waves of pleasure that he'd caused to send havoc within me, I bit down on his shoulder, sucking his essence deep into me. That was enough to have him growling against my breast, sucking harder as he came deep within me.

"Now we have to clean up, baby," I purred as he slumped against me. Instantly, he was hard again and so began our fucking marathon.

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**Hope you enjoyed that bottom bit as much as I did. It's graphic, I'll give it that but I'm trying to work on that. I hope you all liked it.**

**Please review.**

**See you in two weeks!**

**bexie25**


	9. Qualms

**Hello Everyone**

**With all the craziness that's been going on this week, I completely forgot that was due today. However, I got it together and this is what we have. It's nearly 1700 words, which is a little shorter than a lot of you would have liked, I know, but I felt that the next chapter needed to be stand alone for us to really appreciate what's happening in it.**

**Please enjoy, and I'll see you down the bottom.**

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The next few days went by without a second glance. Edward and I stayed up in our room, and as the days went on, our eyes steadily grew darker and darker.

I would have insisted that we hunt if I was sure that Edward would follow in my diet. Make no mistake, the legends and stories that we, as the Volturi leaders, had guards fish for our meal were true… on occasion.

But we all had our mates now, a thought that made me smile. And when we hunted, or food was thrust upon us and we were in the presence of our mates, our instincts made us want both at the same time. I'd never experienced it, but I'd heard that the first time with your mate when hunting or feeding, rather, was something that was best to be experienced _alone._

But then there was also the fact that if I took Edward hunting with me, I didn't want him to thoroughly enjoy himself and then close in on himself in guilt. I wanted him to enjoy it and have minimal to no regrets.

Not that I didn't understand what was wrong; au contraire, of course I did. He'd been changed not long ago, of course, and it was in the first few years that the shreds of humanity clung to us. Combine that with what this Carlisle Cullen taught him? Of course he'd feel remorse! Of course he'd have a hard time adjusting to it when his mate was the leader – and she drank the blood of humans!

And so for me to want him to have no regrets the first go was ludicrous. I knew that… I just had a hard time accepting it. Alas, I knew that the first few times would be rough and so that was another reason that I wanted us to go through it alone. Of course we'd be together, of course we'd fuck and love each other after and, or during hunting… but that was only half the reason I wanted to be alone with Edward.

I didn't want my brothers – namely Aro and Caius – to give him shit for it. And give him shit, they would... as would their heartless, fiendish mates. And I didn't want Edward to face that. I didn't want him to feel like he owed it to me to be a devil with no remorse yet. We had things to work through and I could accept that – I already had and I knew I could work with it.

I knew that I could help my mate – perhaps more than anyone else ever could.

"Isabella, my love," Edward whispered in my ear and I smiled as I turned in his arms. We were laying on the bed, naked, the sun just starting to peak through the clouds as it ascended in the sky. It was dawn, of course, and the hue of the sun and the sky reflected upon our skin in odd ways; the diamonds that were seen to be embedded into our impenetrable skin were the colours of the streaks in the heavens.

"Yes?" I whispered back, liking the stillness of the room and how content we were to just be silent and still in each other's presence.

"You were thinking pretty hard about something, baby," he said, his eyes smouldering. I growled wantonly at the sight.

But I worked it to my advantage. "Hmm, yes I was, my darling," I purred at him and I smirked to myself when I heard his own growl.

"Well, would you like to tell me what that had you thinking so hard," he crooned, his breath fanning across my face and I moaned, my mouth open as his essence landed on my tongue. The taste of his scent was merely a diluted taste of him; of his cock and I _wanted _it.

Growling, I forced him onto his back and slithered down his body. We were on top of the covers, which definitely made things easier and as my hand encased him, I looked into his eyes.

I've been told, numerous times by a man, that when I held their gaze as I pleasured them, it drove them wild. My curls and my eyes, that were surrounded in a thick frame of eyelashes sent them over the edge and made them want more than they ever had.

Of course, that was definitely part of what I was; a femme fatale, a deadly woman. I was notoriously known as the deadliest woman vampire on the planet for my womanly wiles.

It did not fail me in this instance; as soon as my lips encased his cock, my right hand cupping and playing with his balls and the other wrapped around and squeezing him at the base, Edward hissed a "mine" and threw his head back. His hands threaded through my hair and tugged slightly and I moaned, to which he growled.

I hummed around him, knowing that after this we would certainly need to hunt and now that I could see Edward like this; in all his raw and animalistic glory, I couldn't wait. My want, my _need _to see him like that was too much and I quickly brought him to an orgasm. The signs leading up told me just when he'd be coming and I redoubled my efforts to make it explosive.

And explosive it was.

With a deafening, dominating roar, he came down my throat as I took him in my mouth all the way to the base, swallowing around him. He came in long, firing streaks that slid down my throat and made me moan and roll my eyes back.

_God, the taste_, my inner femme fatale moaned, revelling in our mate. We noted that we were drenched from the pleasure we'd given to him and from the wicked grin on his face, he knew it, too.

Of course he did – surely, he could fucking smell it!

As if answering to my thoughts, Edward flipped us so he was now on top and slid down my body.

_**oOoOo**_

"Edward, in all seriousness, we need to discuss what I was thinking about earlier." I said seriously, looking into Edward's eyes. Hopefully the fact that he was hard and still within me whilst I straddled him wouldn't distract him to the point that I couldn't get my point across.

It was important, after all.

"Edward, darling, I want you to focus," I said and his head snapped back, our eyes meeting instantly.

He smirked. "I will. You may just want to hurry." I giggled at his boyish behaviour, nuzzling my nose against his before straightening back up. My persona became serious and in reaction, so did Edward's. "What?" He whispered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Your eyes, my love, they're black," I said, my hands cupping his cheeks. At my touch he relaxed and began to purr, only to open his eyes again when he realised what I was getting at.

"You want to hunt?" He whispered, his eyes widening in shock as he froze.

"I would like to try hunting alone with just you, yes," I said carefully, unsure of how he'd respond.

He shook his head to clear it. "And… and we'd be hunting… _human's_ right?"

I said nothing, instead opting to nod. He breathed in slowly and held it, his cheeks puffing out as he blew it out. I still said nothing, simply stroking the hair at the back of his neck, hoping to at least offer some comfort.

He frowned for a moment, closing his eyes, deep in thought. Several minutes passed like this, until he opened his eyes and smiled, hesitantly but at the same time, filled with excitement.

"Ok," I breathed.

I smiled.

_**OOoOo**_

"Bella, my love, I would follow you anywhere, but where are we exactly?" Edward asked, trailing behind me a little. My hand was firmly wrapped around his as I slowly but surely guided us forward.

I smiled back at him. "We're a few towns over, my love. I thought I'd take us somewhere far away enough that we'd have a little, um, privacy."

He frowned, confused. "And why would we need that?"

I smiled, loving that he didn't know already. "We're mates. When we hunt alone, with each other – or even when we're not alone – we become… aroused… when we watch our other half hunt. It provokes need and lust, and we simply must have each other. I've heard that the experiences are most pleasurable and animalistic."

He looked at me, "How do you know?"

I purred, wrapping my body around his. "My darling, I know purely from what I've heard from Didyme, my brother, Marcus' mate. I have not experienced it; it is an experience that only affects mates. You are the only one who will evoke this kind of emotion and compulsion from me, and vice versa."

He growled and gripped my ass cheeks in his hands, making me moan as he squeezed them. I hummed seductively, watching him as his eyes landed on the swell of my breast, my pants making my chest them rise and fall rapidly.

"Mine," he mouthed, his tongue reaching out as he leaned down to lavish my skin. I purred, gripping his shoulders as he held me up against his hardening erection, walking forward until my back hit the gruff trunk of a tree.

We were on the edge of a town, so it was no surprise when Edward's lips, which were at my neck at this point, paused. I looked down at him and noted when his eyes met mine that that devilish, wicked crooked smile was back – the one that drenched my panties.

"What?" I purred in his ear, grounding down on him and he growled.

"Two humans, to the east," he motioned with his head in their direction. He growled seconds later and I looked at him, arousal already hitting me at how utterly animalistic and raw he was.

I smirked.

"It's time, then, my dear."

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**It's time, indeed.**

**What did we all think? I liked it, I really did and I'm really looking forward to the next chapter.**

**I have nothing else to say, really, except that this chapter is unedited so please excuse any mistakes.**

**Oh, and please review. I really do worry about what you think sometimes, and it's great when you let me know. It helps a lot to know what you're thinking and feeling.**

**I'll see you in two weeks,**

**bexie25**


	10. Take It All

**Hello Everyone**

**This chapter is actually 2000 words exactly and I am so fucking pleased with it... like, seriously pleased *nods head***

**So... small summary of the chapter? Right, well... there's blood, sex, possessive claiming and blood and sex put together.**

**Yeah... I think that's it. :)**

**I hope you like this chapter as much as I do. I'm not so sure about the actual lemon, but it seems pretty hot.**

***Shrugs***

**See you down the bottom! :D**

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Our eyes were connected as we waited for our prey to come to us. It was bound to happen, anyway, because the only people that would venture this close to the woods and beyond the boundary were rebels. Everyone else knows not to because if you go into the woods, chances are you won't come back.

Unfortunately, that was the fate for the two humans coming our way.

Thing was, this town was very superstitious. They knew they lived near vampires… they knew all too well.

Centuries ago, this town had been inundated with people… humans. When we of the Volturi came through, we took advantage of the amount of people in the town and how isolated it was.

The population was quickly halved.

Since then, it's become harder and harder to hunt from the town. But, occasionally, one or two silly little rebel teenagers sneak out for a little… hanky panky.

_I really owe Alice, _I thought to myself as Edward's eyes flashed to the darkest they would be for now. I smirked at him when he growled low, pulling me to his form harshly, rubbing his hardness against me. I purred, licking my bottom lip as his possessive side came to show.

"Mine," he growled, looking into my eyes. He raised a dangerous eyebrow, as if to question whether I'd challenge his claim over me. "_Mine_."

I hummed, "Yours… all yours, my love. Now come… let's go get us a snack or two to share."

He swallowed, sucked in a breath and nodded. I pushed him back and untangled myself from his hold, taking his hand. I smirked up at him, licked my lips, let go of his hand and… ran.

I laughed when I heard him growl, feeling his ire as he quickly ran after me, closing the distance. He caught up to me just as I reached a tree that was the only thing that separated me from our prey. I stopped, grabbing the tree, my lip curling as the scent of the two petty humans hit me. I groaned, venom filling my mouth, my grip on the bark too strong for it as the bark collapsed in my hands and I growled again as the tree shook.

Edward was right behind me, and in the moments now of heightened sensory, my body tingled at his proximity. I was whimpering with every exhale, the need for blood and for my mate unlike anything I'd ever known.

I knew that Edward felt the same way; I could feel it. It was clear from every whimper he released, every growling inhale and the way his soft hands danced around my body. When his fingers grazed against my jean-covered mound I groaned, my head falling back against his chest. My neck and back was arched in a way that meant I could easily see his lick-able jaw, his piercing black eyes that held a glint of menace and his mouth.

"I want it," he growled, his head buried into my neck and I moaned, though I had no idea which he was talking about; the blood, me or both?

I salivated at the idea of drinking as he pleasured me… even better was the thought of him drinking as _I _pleasured _him_.

"Take it," I said. My voice was low and gravely, hoarse with the desire of blood and desire of _him_ as I tried to control my want of him. He was just so… sinful, so seductive when he was in control, when he was the monster that he rightfully should embrace.

And embrace it, he was. He was embracing everything of his darker side in this moment and it felt so good. I knew that we'd have problems with it later, but right now, he was all in.

I also knew that I needed to focus on what was happening now, and not the consequences that would come later. Time for pleasure and blood was now and time for reassurances and consequences was definitely _later_.

Edward turned me around, pinning me against the tree. His dark eyes and strong hands captivated me as he battled between his two needs which were as bad as each other. "I want you, but I want the blood. I can't decide."

My eyes softened, but we both knew there was sinful malice behind the endearing gaze. "Take it all, then, my darling. Take. It. _All_."

He smirked at me, "Yeah? You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd fucking love it if I took you against this tree whilst we drank from the same body, wouldn't you? You're such a dirty woman, my mate."

I smirked, purring, "You know I would love it just as much as you would. I'd love to feel your cock pounding into me as we shared the blood of both those petty little humans."

"Then, let's do it," he said, biting down on my neck and I groaned, arching my back, my breasts pushing against his chest as he sucked my venom from me, leaving his mark. When he was done, he sealed the mark and looked into my eyes. "Come."

We separated, creeping slowly forward in our crouches. I walked to the right of our prey as Edward walked to the left and we rounded them, moving from in front of them to behind them. It was easier that way.

Our eyes met as the victims walked forward, whispering and wrapped around each other, seemingly unaware of their fate. The scent of their blood aroused me and I smirked, batting my eyelashes at my mate as he inhaled and growled, breathing in my aroused scent.

We waited for the perfect time and distance before we sprang from behind the trees that separated us from the humans. Silently, and sneaking smirking, menacing glances at each other, we followed our prey until they were far away enough from the outskirts of town that it humans would not find them and make it back out alive from the sheer distance and isolation.

They talked aimlessly about the restrictions and rules of the town. They had no idea all those rules and restrictions were because of us; the very creatures that would kill them.

"Now," I breathed, licking my lips as I stopped and looked at Edward.

"What do I do?" Edward growled, his hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

I smirked up at him, "what your instincts tell you."

In a flash he was standing behind our prey. He growled, causing them to scream and I moaned as their fright combined with Edward's actions made me want my mate more. I sucked my teeth as they turned and one of his hands clenched around each of their necks, lifting them from the ground. As they struggled to breathe and clawed at his hands, he raised them into the air until, finally, he cracked their necks and they went limp.

I raced up behind him as he tossed me the one he'd held with his right hand. Greedy because of the amount of time I'd waited between feeds – savouring this moment and experience with my Edward – I growled as I smelled the male's blood.

But I paused and instead decided to watch Edward, who had wasted no time in sinking his teeth into his female victim. I whimpered as he crushed her form to his front, growling with every draw of her blood. His eyes were clenched closed but when he opened them to briefly meet my heated gaze, they looked so black, so feral. My grip on _my _victim had tightened to the point that several of his weak bones were snapping, particularly in his upper body.

When Edward was finished, he dropped the girl's body and turned to me, licking the blood that dripped from the corner of his mouth. He didn't seem to notice – or perhaps he was leaving it for me – that there was blood on his lips, too.

I dropped the boy in my hands, barely registering the sound it made as his body hit the ground. Within a millisecond, I was in my Edward's arms, pinning him against a tree.

"Mine," I growled as I leaned in. Our eyes connected for less than a second as I stuck my tongue out and licked the blood from his top lip, before I sucked his bottom one into my mouth. I moaned at the taste of blood, grabbing his shoulders and shoving him to ground as I straddled him. I reached for the girl, digging my nail into her neck and we groaned as the pungent scent of her blood increased in volume. Bringing her neck to my lips, I lapped at the blood, my eyes rolling back as Edward gripped my hips and grounded his cock against my hot core.

Edward closed his left hand over mine and tugged lightly. He sat up and looked into my eyes, his own smouldering as we shared a joint thought. Grinning, we positioned the girl so that we could both drink from her and smirked as we simultaneously sunk our teeth into each side of her neck. With her body trapped between ours, there was no need to grip her too tightly and our hands sought out the others clothing, annoyed with its presence.

We growled as the clothes shredded under our powerful grips.

With slowly draws of the woman's blood, we quickly and mercilessly tugged on anything else that was in our way. When we were finally completely and utterly bare to one another, we momentarily dropped the woman.

Edward growled, gripping my hips. I wrapped my fingers around his cock, holding it in place until Edward stopped shuffling me. Then, powerfully, and with a roar that screamed demon, he thrust up into me. I screamed out, my head thrown back as Edward began to relentlessly pound into me.

His left hand reached out for the woman and his hand gripped her neck as he held her up to me. Licking his lips, he growled one word as he thrust her in my direction.

"Drink."

I smiled at him, wrapping my fingers around her neck over his and leaned in. Holding his eyes with mine, I wrapped my lips around the open wound before sinking my teeth into it. My eyes closed of their own accord as I sucked in deep draws of her blood, greedy sucking sounds escaping. At the sight of me feeding, Edward growled and he angled our hips as his thrusts became harder so that every time he hit my g-spot.

When he slowed, and rubbed the head of his cock against my g-spot, breath left me in a huff and I stopped drinking from the woman. There was little blood left, and I motioned for him to take the rest of it. He leaned up to lip the blood from my lips, his black, demonic eyes connecting with mine as he speedily sunk his teeth into her neck, growling and moaning at the taste in pleasure.

I licked my lips, moaning and with hooded eyes leaned down. My lips descended on his neck and I kissed down his neck, sucking here and there. I smiled against his skin at the sound of the woman's body hitting the forest floor and the next moment, my back was against a tree and Edward was thrusting into me with more purpose, faster and harder than before.

"Mine," he roared out and I arched my back, my lips making contact with his neck, my teeth sinking into his skin to mark him again as I climaxed. Edward growled, his hand clamped against the back of my head as he, too, climaxed, his hips against mine as his cock filled me to the brim.

We sunk to the floor, me on top straddling Edward as we panted needlessly for air. Our bodies touched, aligned at every point as we came down from the shared high.

"Can we do that again?" Edward said, breaking the silence.

I chuckled breathlessly, "absolutely."

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**...**

**Yep... so, you still with me? Everyone alright?**

**Good!**

**I'll see you in two weeks with another chapter. In the meantime, tell me what you thought of this one, please!**

**bexie25**


	11. No Regrets

**Hello**

**First of all... WE GOT OVER 100 REVIEWS! AHH! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!**

**But on with the story...**

**So this nearly didn't get out but then I remembered. Luckily, I had this chapter planned out which is why I want to warn you that... well... I've seen the end of this story but... there's a cliff-hanger.**

***Smiles sheepishly***

**I'll see you down the bottom. Please don't kill me.**

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It was a while before Edward and I decided to leave. The hours after our amazing first hunt had been good and whilst Edward was quiet now, he did not show the degree of regret that led him into my arms before.

It felt nice… knowing that there was a large chance that I was the one who made the difference. Not only had I shown him – or rather, begun to show him, as it was a long process – that there was nothing to be disgusted for, that this was our natural path… but our mating connection ensured that he would never leave me.

In short, my love gave him strength… and vice versa.

"Edward, my love," I said as we walked at a steady, human pace through the woods. We were close to Volterra now because we'd raced through the forest at our natural pace most of the way before slowing to a comfortable walk. Edward had been silent the whole way, and I wanted him to know that he could speak to me if he so desired.

He walked on as if he had not heard me and I frowned, quickly flitting to the place in front of him. I'd no idea if he was walking on and ignoring me or if he was so immersed in his thoughts that he truly could not hear me. The latter worried me.

_Was it really possible for him to regret it so soon? _I thought to myself, aggravated that I did not know immediately. I wanted answers and I wanted them now, but if Edward was really already hung up over this, than such a thing would not be possible immediately.

Edward only stopped when he bumped into me, and our hands latched onto some part of the other's anatomy. Our eyes met and Edward swallowed as he took in my worried expression. He sighed and pulled me harshly toward him, making me moan.

Our faces were inches away, eyes connected for just a second. Every breath was shared and the heightened feeling of love, desire and need flowed between us easily.

But then I remembered what I was supposed to tell him, and I sighed, closing my eyes. "Edward," I said softly as I looked into his eyes. He didn't even blink as his red eyes connected with mine and I had to force myself to not lick my lips at the sight. He looked… feral. Even now, with something that resembled remorse but at the same time, was nothing like it… he looked so very fierce it was sinful.

"Bella?" He said, but I could hear the glinting desire and amusement in his voice, see it in his raised eyebrow and crooked smile. "You were saying, darling?"

I smirked at him, rubbing my nose against his. My nose trailed against the skin of his high cheekbone, travelling all the way over to his ear. I breathed, "How are you feeling now? About the hunt?"

He froze for a moment before sighing. "I feel guilty. And not for the reason that you think," he quickly elaborated before I could interrupt. His hand, which he'd held up to stop me from speaking, grasped my chin fiercely and he nearly sneered at me. "I feel alive; really fucking alive. That was… that was good. I loved it and I want it again but I feel fucking guilty at the same time because I should be feeling regret. And all I feel is the need, the want for _more_."

He growled out that last word and I moaned, my eyes rolling back in my head. This was a new type of Edward for me; this was the Edward that was domineering and fierce and damned sexy. He knew what he wanted and he took it. He was not gentle, which was a good thing because whilst gentle was lovely and very sweet… it was not what I craved.

Most wallflowers did. _Most _wallflower vampire women wanted a man that would dote on them, make love to them softly and slowly and cherish them. Edward would and did do all of that… but he did it with more ferocity. _He _was something; he knew what I wanted, he knew what _he _wanted and he took it without remorse. He made love to me, admittedly sometimes it was slowly but I hated it when men and women alike thought that to make love, it had to be slow.

_They _were full of shit.

But when I focused on Edward, I was well aware of the fact that I had been backed into a tree and that his hard cock was now pressing against me… right _there_. I licked my lips, wrapping my arms around his neck as I eyed him seductively. I wrapped my legs around him, rubbing slowly, dirtily but _hard _against him and he growled, moaning as his forehead fell to my shoulder.

"I'm glad, baby," I purred and his head snapped up. His eyes were fierce and black as coal as he stared at me, swallowing. I smirked, raking my nails down his naked chest – of course, we were both half naked, our clothes having been nearly all ripped to shreds in the middle of our passionate rendezvous. "I was hoping that if you felt remorse, it would only be a little but I'm glad to see that you don't. I was sure it would be harder to crack you… but I guess you really are a fucking devil," I groaned at my own words when Edward pressed his thumb against my clit over my clothing.

"We should continue this in our chambers," he grunted, his top lip pulling back over his teeth as a fierce snarl ripped from his chest.

"I agree," I purred and Edward's hands were glued to my ass as he raced us the rest of the way to the castle. Once there, he scaled the wall of our room.

We didn't make it to the bed, so Edward fucked me against the wall… which now has a permanent hard print of his as he'd come.

_**oOoOo**_

I was straddling Edward, who was lying on his front in the middle of our bed. The sheets were tangled at his feet, his head on the only pillow that wasn't ripped and gutted.

We had been here for the past couple of hours and I was elated to find that Edward still wasn't feeling remorse… and he really had changed. He was still as he had been during our talk and I was revelling in every fucking second of it. He was just so sexy when he was fulfilled and he knew what he wanted.

I laid my front against his back, my head against his cheek as my hair fell around us. My puckered nipples grazed against the planes of his back and I licked and nibbled on his jaw. He purred, in turn making me do the same and we closed our eyes, breaths in perfect sync.

Every mating couple in the castle – and there were a fair few – savoured time alone with their mate. It was the one time when they were allowed to truly be themselves and only themselves, stripped of all their formalities – all the things they had to be in the Volturi leaders' presence. It was for this reason that whilst we showed no remorse, we tried to give those mated couples time together at least every week. Hell knows they got enough time every night.

It was good to finally feel this for myself. Granted, I was getting more time than most others for two reasons. One: I was, as was Edward, one of the Volturi leaders. Two: we were newly mated and we required this time.

It was a while later, just when it was beginning to get dark, when there was a quiet, tentative knock on our door. I sat up, holding the sheet to my chest as Edward growled. I knew he felt threatened by whoever was on the other side of the door because I was, too. I kissed Edward on the lips, whispered a quick but passionate "yours" and then hopped out of bed. I flitted across the room, putting on clothing that was comfortable and relaxed whilst still being my style and things that did not show enough to make my devil angry or possessive.

It was a damned, crying shame, too… I did love it when he was possessive, angry and protective.

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind as I stood in front of Edward, wordlessly asking if I was covered enough for his liking. He nodded, licking his lips for a moment as he got up and I growled, remembering that he was naked. It was easy to not get caught up on all his naked glory when I felt so possessive. The need to have him covered because of who was on the other side of the door – man or woman – was overwhelming.

He caught the clothes I threw at him, quickly tugging them on before displaying his appearance as I had done just a moment ago. I nodded and we muttered disgruntledly as we walked to the door, wrapped in each other's arms.

I opened the door and smiled at Alice. She looked between the two of us before asking, "May I come inside? I don't mean to encroach on your time together but I had a vision that you two need to know about."

Edward and I looked at each other, frowning. We quickly stepped to the side and Alice flashed us a smile as she walked passed slowly. She looked around the room for a moment before turning back to us. "I won't stay long," she said. "But you need to know what I saw and before I tell you, please know that there is no way to stop it."

I growled under my breath, "Just tell us what's happening, Alice. What did you see?"

She nodded firmly, "right, I'm sorry for dawdling. Uh, would you rather I showed you," she said, looking at Edward. "I might as well show you and then you can tell Bella."

I knew when Edward nodded, his hand tightened around me, that she was thinking something to him that she would not repeat aloud. Only Edward's comforting arm around me stopped me from demanding that she tell me at once.

Edward closed his eyes and I waited, trying to be patient, as he sucked in a deep breath. I knew then that he was seeing Alice's vision and my arm tightened around him when he growled, his eyes flashing with anger when they met mine.

I didn't even look at Alice when I demanded she leave the room. I dragged Edward to the bed, happy that Alice had obeyed immediately and I straddled Edward when he sat down. His hands gripped the flesh of my bottom and I leaned my forehead against his.

"What is it?" I demanded, shocked by his anger.

"Carlisle," he growled out. "He's coming here for me."

* * *

**So, we're meeting a new, fierce and domineering, in control, determined Edward... we all like? Me like.**

**But I just wanted to ask you to please review. As I was writing this, I was thinking about how much I don't feel confident about this story and the direction it's going in and I really need your assurance that it is actually good and that you want to read it.**

**So please tell me... anyways, I'll see you in two weeks, mm'kay?**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	12. Retribution Wanted

**Hello lovies!**

**I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up. First there were my exams, then I mucked up which week the chapter was due and… yeah, I've also been busy. We have a program called YCon at our school – it's new – and I'm part of the Press Team. That means I have to write articles, chase up stories and run around to get info on different things…**

**Anyways, I'm getting WAY off topic. Basically, this is the first of three that I owe you for the past six weeks of... well, quite frankly, nothing. More on how I plan to catch up so I'm back on schedule down the bottom!**

**Just one more thing before I leave you to read the story… thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! Your reviews made me much more confident than I had been about this story, and so all twenty of you… this chapter is dedicated to you! ;)**

**NOW you can go and read, LOL.**

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"We need to meet with my brothers," I said. I looked over at my mate, who had taken to pacing just an hour ago. He had yet to say a word since he'd informed me of what was wrong.

I was trying to remain calm; really, I was. I knew that if I lost control of myself whilst Edward was already… frazzled, I supposed… it would do no good. I needed to calm myself and the only way I could do that was to make myself complacent with the idea that I'd be able to take my anger and frustrations out on Edward later… in a much more _satisfying _way for the both of us.

I watched as Edward kept up his fast pacing. He was deep in thought – that much was obvious – and part of me wondered how he could miss someone speaking to him. He was a vampire after all. My eyes followed my mate and I studied him with a frown of both confusion and concentration on my face.

And then it clicked.

My Edward was listening to the thoughts of perhaps every single being – vampire and human – to gather any information he could. Plus, from the way he was also muttered to himself so lowly I could hardly hear him even with my hearing, I would say that at least fifty per-cent of his mind was making contingency plans to keep me safe.

It was only in our nature to protect our mate and now that I had caught him in the act, I had also caught myself. The only reason I wasn't consciously making the plans was because I was concentrating on my Edward so intensely.

"Edward," I said strongly, looking right at him. His steps faltered for a moment, but he otherwise kept on the same path. I growled under my breath, getting up and I flitted to his side, standing in front of him; one way or another, I was going to make him stop and listen. "Stop, darling. Stop for a moment."

He looked up at me and I gasped when I saw that his eyes were black. I knew instantly that they weren't black in lust or hunger… no, this was the look of pure anger and hatred. On instinct, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his cheeks.

"Calm, my love," I muttered against his face and I felt him shudder as my breath and scent washed over him. He wrapped his arms around my waist slowly and pulled me against his body. "That's it," I purred, looking into his eyes as they slowly became red once again, his anger – or at least, the most of it – melting away under my distractions.

"I want to kill him," he fumed in my ear. "I want to kill him for even considering trying anything. He must know that he has lost me and I'm sure he knows that I'm here for a reason." He looked down at me and smiled sweetly. The next second, his lips were on mine.

We both let out purrs as his tongue stroked against mine and his hands gripped my hips. My own hands were complacent as they made their way to the hair on the back of Edward's head, gripping it tightly. His hands moved down to my ass, which he palmed hard and I moaned into his mouth.

Too soon for even my liking, I broke the kiss off. "As much as I'd _really _like to continue this, my love," I purred in his ear, "we really must be on our way. We have plans to make, as I'm sure you are aware of."

He growled in my ear, "I can't wait, sweetheart, but I have to ask you of something."

I looked into his eyes, "anything."

His eyes glinted with an evil mirth that I'd never seen before… but I liked it. "Let me be the one to kill him. I don't care what you do with him beforehand… but I will kill him for putting you in any kind of danger."

I smiled at him, "As I said… anything."

_**oOoOo**_

"What trouble has your odious mate caused now, Isabella?" Athenodora asked, her red eyes twinkling with mirth.

I growled. "If you weren't my dear brother Caius' mate, you ungrateful bitch, I would have you against the wall right now. Be mindful of that," I spat the words out and her eyes widened as she stepped aside for us to come in.

"Thank you," I said brusquely, eyes narrowed as I glared at her. My hand was in Edward's and I smiled as he confidently and without hesitation walked through the archway beside me. We found ourselves in the living room of my brother Aro's chambers and waiting there were my other two brothers, Didyme and Aro's mate Sulpicia.

Edward and I sat down on the loveseat adjacent to them and I was glad to see that Athenodora was heeding my warning; Sulpicia, who must have heard it, obviously doing the same. I shared a brief glance and smile with Didyme, who had always been more of a mother than a sister to me as she was at least fifteen years older than me and older than Marcus by just a few.

Edward gripped my hand as I began to speak. "I trust Alice has let you in on the details concerning the current situation?"

"Yes, she has," Marcus said and I glanced at him. He looked at me then Edward before continuing. "But she did not give us a detailed description and as Aro refuses to use his gift on mated members of the non-violent section of our guard, we do not know perhaps all that we need to." Those last words were said as he looked over to Edward, at whom he raised his eyebrow. "I take it she showed you?"

Edward nodded, "She did, yes." He looked at me for a moment before continuing. "In the vision, she saw Carlisle standing alone a few metres away from us in the throne room. Carlisle was asking to speak with me, but I was standing behind Bella's throne and was not responding. The vision shifted when Bella let out a growl and the next thing the vision went black." He paused and looked down at me, a haunted and worried look in his eye. "She did not see anything beyond that."

I nodded to myself, now understanding why Edward had been in such a state after the news. I looked at him meaningfully for just a moment to convey that we'd talk of this later before I looked to my brothers. "What shall we do? I would prefer no hassle but I cannot honestly say that I don't want to meet the Doctor who changed my mate."

Caius raised an eyebrow as his lips twitched sardonically. "And what would you say, sister? Would you thank him for changing your Edward?"

I laughed. "No. No, I assure you I will not. Though I am happy that my mate is here, safe and sound, I would have liked to change him myself. I would have at least given him the choice as you each had done with your mates."

Though we were essentially selfish, monstrous creatures to others, our mates were our soft spots, our Achilles heel. We would never do anything that could even risk their happiness; it was not in our nature to even consider it.

Aro chose that moment to speak up with his opinion. "Let him come," he said simply. He looked me in the eyes, "there is little he could do to challenge us, sister. We have our guard; we have strength in numbers and we have powers where he is by himself."

"I agree," Marcus said. "There is really no risk in letting him come here."

"What about the vision?" Edward asked my brothers and I nearly smiled at his confident manner. "I will not have my mate in danger – I'm sure that is something you can appreciate."

Marcus smiled at him fondly and I knew that they'd grow to be close friends over the centuries; just as I was with Marcus' Didyme. "Do not forget, young Edward, that your mate and our sister is a very powerful and complex shield. There is nothing that could deter her, I assure you."

"And," I added, looking up at Edward, whose brow was furrowed in worry. "Alice's visions are subjective. There is no way of knowing that whatever outcome that vision may have had would result in the same way. Any decision that any person involved makes could result in an entirely different outcome."

He sighed. "I know," he admitted sheepishly, looking into my eyes. "I'm just concerned. I can't lose you; I refuse to. I was changed and created for you and I will not spend eternity alone."

"You won't," I said strongly before breathing in sharply and looking at my amused brothers. "Edward has requested the right to kill him and I have granted it. As far as I'm concerned, Carlisle Cullen has done things that warrant more than just his 'arrest'."

"We are amenable," Aro spoke for the three of my brothers and their mates merely nodded.

I stood up and Edward followed. "Good," I said, nodding at each of them. "Well, with that sorted, Edward and I had best be on our way."

And with that, we were out of Aro's chambers and in our own.

That night, Edward made love to me and fucked me more times than I cared to count. The only thing I could concentrate on was him as he slid into me, having his way with me. Each time as we came together, we reopened the marking bites, drawing the other's venom into our being. It calmed both of us and by the time we finally decided to halt for a while, we were completely and utterly sated and tranquil.

With our bodies entwined and still joined intimately, I laid my head on Edward's chest right over his non-beating heart. The fingers of his right hand danced up and down the skin of my back softly, barely touching me as he teased me.

"I love you," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his throat.

"I love you," he responded.

And I just knew that this was right. More now than I ever had, I knew that this was where Edward truly belonged and whilst I was grateful – in a way – to Carlisle Cullen for changing him and inadvertently leading my mate to me, I was in no way inclined to make excuses.

Edward wanted retribution and as I had told him, I would give him anything.

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**So... there's that chapter. How was it?**

**Is it out of the question completely to ask for similar treatment to what you gave the last chapter? (Yes, that's my way of asking for reviews ;)**

**See you within the next two weeks for the next chapter. Then, in two weeks, I will hopefully be able to give you two chapters. *Fingers crossed***

**See you then!**

**bexie25**


	13. Preparations

**Hello**

**Sorry I didn't update on Wednesday! I was so busy and all thoughts of writing were not in my mind, that's for sure!**

**Just thought I'd let you know of a few things before you read on...**

**1. Within the next week and a half, I will update again to get us up to speed on our updates. After that, we should be on track. :)**

**2. During that time, I will also be mapping out the rest of the chapters/plot line of this story. I'm thinking we have about 6 left - not including this chapter, of course - making that 20 chapters in total, but I'm unsure. It may rise up to, at the absolute most, 25 in total by the end of my planning.**

**And with that, I leave you to this chapter... enjoy!**

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The majority of the following days – with the exception of night time – after our meeting were spent preparing for the good doctor's arrival. We lost two guards, thankfully of minor rank, when they found their mates whilst scouting Paris. We thanked them for their service and sent them on their way.

I was sure we'd never hear from them again.

Edward busied himself with talking to Alice about her vision, asking her many a time if she could see anything different. To be honest, I was starting to get a little frustrated with his constant badgering of her, but the concern in his eyes calmed me. I had to remind myself – several times in fact – that he was mine, and I was his. He loved me and only me – as it would be for forever.

I had no reason to be jealous.

Tension was high in the castle, and many guards were making themselves scarce to avoid annoying one of the leaders. As soon as they did, even by accident, their time on this earth would be up.

As it so happened, I did take my turn in draining the human receptionist. Gianna met her demise when she began to think of my mate in a less than desirable way. Of course, having heeded my warning, Edward told me immediately and took great pleasure in sucking the last of her blood from my lips and fingers.

That, of course, led to another round of fucking in the throne room and by that night, we'd already found a replacement. My brothers took great delight in teasing my Edward that his turn was next. He smirked, looked down at me, and ushered me out of the room and up to our chambers.

We did not re-join my brothers for the rest of the night.

During the nights of those two days following the meeting, Edward and I also had lengthy conversations. We talked about Edward's fears and uneasiness especially since he'd noticed that I was uncomfortable with his interactions with Alice. He reassured me of what I already knew; he loved me, only wanted me, and was just concerned about why Alice's vision had gone black.

And then he worshipped me, whispering the sweetest things and I found that I was just as fond of making love slowly as I was of fucking. I also discovered that Edward's tongue against the mating bites he'd left on me was deliriously pleasurable, and that I wanted him to feel the same mind-blowing pleasure I was.

Need I say more?

"Isabella, my love?" Edward called, his voice bringing me out of my reverie, and I hummed against his chest. My nails scraped down the plains of his chest and all the way down past his abdomen as I looked up at him from behind my eyelashes. He growled, and I smirked.

"Hmmm…" I moaned, licking my lips at the look in his dark, hooded eyes. "Yes, Edward?"

He swallowed. Using his strength and speed, he flipped us, sitting up with his legs spread. His rock-hard cock bobbed between his legs and I stared at it for a moment. The growl my mate released made me look up at him and I watched his eyes as they raked down my form. I released the purr of a very satisfied feline, and he closed his eyes, cocking his head to the side. He moaned with a smirk on his face, and lifted my leg, skimming his nose down the length of it. I closed my eyes in bliss as I felt his breath caress my skin as he spoke to me in a deep, raspy whisper.

"I love the smell of your skin… I love the sounds you make when you're happy, sated, pleasured." I opened my eyes and gasped; his eyes were coveting me, devouring me. "I want you, Isabella. I want you always. I hunger for your taste, your warmth…" he trailed off as he cupped my pussy, delving his fingers into me, curling them just right, and I arched my back with a snarl. "I hunger to take what is mine and only mine," he said with a growl.

"Yours, Edward," I whimpered, opening my eyes. "And you know I always want you. I hunger for the same things, my love."

It was then that he let his body align with his. He hovered above me, and bracing himself with one arm, he trailed the other lightly down my body. I arched and purred at the touch of my mate. "We will have our forever, Isabella. If I have to kill Doctor Carlisle Cullen, then so be it. Nothing will stop me – any obstacles in our path will be dealt with."

"Together," I vowed.

He smiled softly, returning the sentiment with a nod. His hand continued to skim down my body only to wrap around my thigh, bringing it up to wrap around his waist loosely. I moaned, my head digging into the pillows, as he grinded against me, rubbing up and down rhythmically, fast and hard.

"Edward," I growled, locking my arms around his neck. I pulled myself up against him and he sat back with a huff. I moulded myself to the shape of his body and purred as I ran my nose across his cheek, down his neck…

"Mine," he said in a low whisper. His chest rumbled with the knowledge and I licked my lips, nodded, and then pressed them against his own. His tongue laved my lip and I whimpered, acquiescing and we both moaned as our tongues touched. Our heads turned to deepen the kiss, and in the next second, I could feel him right there against my opening.

"Inside me, now," I grounded out, unable to stand it any longer. Edward chuckled huskily, pulling away slightly and I growled, gripping his shoulders as I flipped him. I wrapped my fingers around his thick cock and pumped it a few times, hard enough to make his thighs shake with pleasure. He was so hard, pre-cum collecting at the slit and I ducked down to lick it off, moaning at the taste. His fingers weaved through my hair, gripping it tightly as he pulled my head away from the head of his cock. My eyebrow arched and I smirked, licking my lips, groaning at his heady taste. "Delicious."

He hissed, letting go of my hair as he pinched my nipples and dragged my body up to him. I moaned as his actions caused my nipples to rake against his skin, the heat in my abdomen spreading. He wasted no time in getting my body to straddle him and I braced myself with my hands on his chest as he lifted my hips. I slid down on him and we let out twin purrs.

After a few lazy thrusts, Edward found the perfect pace and together we worked toward our climax. He bucked his hips up harshly, his back arched deliciously, and I moaned, my head falling back. "God, Edward."

He chuckled. "God's not here, baby. Just _me_," he accentuated with a hard thrust as he slammed my hips down against him, the sound of our skin slapping together resounding in the room and he growled. "Mine."

I hummed, licking my lips. "Yes, love. Yours, all _yours_," I cried out when his cock throbbed and hit my g-spot. With a new ferocity, I began to ride him, hard and fast, relentlessly. I circled my hips and he growled low, sitting up suddenly. His lips wrapped around my nipple, sucking and licking, and I began to quake, feeling my climax coming with a force.

He growled as my pussy tightened around him, thrusting harder, grunting with each thrust. His top lip pulled back in a snarl, and he laid his head on my breast as he concentrated on bringing us to an even higher level of pleasure.

It did not take much. With just a few sharp, hard thrusts that would've not only killed me, but mutilated me if I was a human, Edward reopened the mating mark he'd left on me and I arched my back in pleasure, coming around him hard, as he drew venom from my body. When we were finished, I slumped against my mate and he fell back against the bed, pulling the thin sheet up over us as we moulded our bodies to each other.

"I love you," we whispered in unison, and we were lost in each other from then till dawn.

_**oOoOo**_

"I want every guard lining every inch of the hall the _Doctor_ will walk through," I commanded as I walked down the hall with the new receptionist, Renée, beside me, busily writing down notes. I could hear the swish of my dress deep blue dress and the click of my pumps as we walked briskly to the throne room. Edward's arm was wrapped around my waist, resting on the thick black belt that hugged my waist and showed off my curves subtly. From the way he was glued to my side, I could tell that he very much approved of my attire.

With a quick sweep of his body, I noted how the clothes he was wearing seemed to hug his gorgeous body in just the right way. He was wearing a midnight blue shirt with the cuff folded back to just beyond his elbows. The expensive but simple looking black jeans hugged his thighs in the most mouth-watering way.

I had to look away – for both of our sakes.

When Renée looked at Edward, and he subsequently stiffened, I growled at her, my hand gripping his arm as I snapped my jaw and she promptly broke away and looked at me. I smirked down at her, showing off my teeth on purpose and she whimpered under her breath.

I leaned over to her. "Renée, if you so much as _look _at my mate again, I will snap your neck. And don't think for one moment that Edward won't drain you himself," I said with a menacing undertone but a friendly smile. I leaned back into Edward's arms and he rubbed his cheek against my jaw, still smiling non-threateningly but the glint in my eye – as reflected in hers – was enough to scare her into compliance. "Understood?"

She nodded again, sweat beading on her forehead and I nodded once, firmly.

We continued on down the hall, Renée running back to her station when she saw there was someone waiting there. I smiled as Edward and I walked through the doors of the throne room, meeting the gaze of my three brothers and their other halves.

"Are we set, sister?" Caius asked, sitting down in his throne.

I sat down in mine, grasping Edward's hand as he stood next to mine. "Yes. Everything is in place."

"Alice's visions show a respectable outcome, I presume?" Aro asked and I nodded.

"For the most part, yes," I stated. "She still has no answer as to the… _strange_ ending, however."

"Ah, well," Marcus said with a harsh laugh. "We have let the good Doctor go on for far too long. It is time he met his end."

"Hmm," I replied non-committedly. "It would seem so. Well, at least his death would be sanctioned – he has no mate, after all, and his façade of trying to be 'good' is really starting to bother me. Such a waste," I said distastefully. Edward rubbed his thumb in circles against my hand, and I held back a purr of content.

"A good thing," Caius said, remarking on Cullen's mate-less state. "The thought of him turning any other mortals, especially to only suppress our true nature is bothersome, to say the least."

"When is he due to arrive?" Didyme asked from Marcus' side.

I looked up at her, clasping Edward's hand tightly. "Two days."

And with that, I let my mind wander to day dreams of killing the bastard.

* * *

**Link to the dress Bella was wearing toward the end of this chapter: **s1108 dot photobucket dot com/albums/h411/bexie25/Femme%20Fatale/?action=view¤t=LongSleevesMaxi-DeepBlue-800x1400 dot jpg

**Link to Edward's attire: **s1108 dot photobucket dot com/albums/h411/bexie25/Femme%20Fatale/?action=view¤t=AW2009-10FREESOULMENSCOLLECTION_150dpi_pg03 dot jpg

**I hope you liked that chapter... I did ;)**

**Please review!**

**bexie25**


	14. Meeting

**Hello!**

**I've had a very successful (BUSY) two weeks! I'm now on holidays, I've planned out the next four chapters, and I'm down in Melbourne visiting family! **** Also, don't worry – the next update is on Wednesday and that's set to be quite a full chapter – it might even go over the 2000 word mark… not that any of you would mind! ;)**

**First up, we have a small little lemon for you all as you won't get any of those from 15 through 18 or 19. **

**See you down the bottom!**

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"Mine!" Edward growled as he slammed into me. I moaned, my back arching from the pleasure I was feeling and the force of his thrusts. My nails were clawing at his back, and from the bliss, love, and lust on his face, I could tell Edward liked it.

"Yours," I moaned out, clenching down on his cock. I licked my lips and smirked up at him through my eyelashes. His eyes closed and in a flash, he had my arms above my head. His fingers weaved through mine and he held them in place, leaning down to drag his teeth down my breast as he drove into me even harder.

"Let me hear you, love," he purred in my ear, licking around my nipples before sucking one into his mouth. I moaned and my eyes shut tightly, my forehead creasing in pleasure. I could nearly sob from the feelings that were coursing through my body, pooling in my abdomen. I arched my back, searching, needing Edward's lips on mine.

He purred "oh, Isabella," before crashing his lips on mine, and speeding up his thrusts. In just a few thrusts, Edward was roaring my name and I was shouting his, my back arched, breasts pressed against his chest.

_Heaven_.

Unfortunately, though, our coital bliss did not last long. Only a few minutes after we had both completed, there was a knock on my door. Edward and I looked at each other, sighed, and broke apart.

"Wait," I said, flitting over to the wardrobe. I quickly pulled on a long-sleeve robe that went to the ground, and I chucked Edward one that was the same style for him. He pulled it on and flitted to my side as I opened the door, his hand slithering down my back and to my ass, which he squeezed.

Standing on the other side of the door was Alice.

"Hello Alice," I said, stepping aside so she could come in. She did so wordlessly, and turned as Edward shut the door and wrapped his arms around me.

"Hello Isabella, Edward," she said, nodding once to each of us. She seemed nervous about something, her eyes flying around the room for a moment before she breathed in deeply.

"Alice," Edward said beseechingly, "Speak your mind."

She nodded. "I had another vision," she said, looking at me. "It was much the same as the last one, only with more detail as to when Carlisle will arrive."

I stepped forward slightly, Edward coming with me instinctively. "Alright then, Alice, what did you see?"

She looked at us for a moment. "He will be arriving a little earlier than we anticipated. Nothing much – mere hours – but I knew that I should tell you."

"And this time is?" I asked, trying to not let my impatience seep through. Alice was a dear friend of mine, and I trusted her implicitly, but I really didn't want this to take too much longer.

"Sundown," she said without hesitation.

I thought for a moment before nodding, "Alright. Is there anything else?"

She sighed. "No. I have been trying to push for a vision of the outcome, but it hasn't worked thus far. There is still nothing."

"Hmm," I replied. "Well, do not push yourself too far. However, if you think you may see something, please do try your hardest and let us know."

She nodded faithfully, bid us farewell and then left.

I turned around and wrapped my arms around Edward's neck. I sighed, and leaned in, nuzzling my nose against my marks on his skin. Edward purred, tightening his arms around my waist and I rubbed against his cock when he grabbed my thighs and wrapped them around his waist. He growled and threw me on the bed, making me giggle.

"Now, love, do not tease me," he purred and I whimpered.

_**oOoOo**_

A few hours later, when the sun was still high in the sky, Edward and I left our chambers. We had discussed things after Alice had left and Edward's torture had ended, deciding to hold a meeting with my brothers to discuss Alice's latest information. We wanted to see if we could come up with even the slightest idea of why Alice might not be able to see anything past my attack.

I wasn't really looking forward to being in the same room as Athenodora and Sulpicia, but I always tolerated them for the most part. They were my brothers' loves and I could not harm them no matter how much I despised them – I simply could not hurt my brothers that way.

Edward was dressed in a lovely Armani suit, and I in a lovely black dress as was my usual attire. We usually matched up, and today was no exception.

We arrived outside Aro's chambers – the usual place for one of these meetings – and the door was opened by Sulpicia. She simply stepped aside and let us in, for which I was glad – there was nothing I wanted more than to bite her fucking head off, but I would only do so if provoked. To tell you the truth, I would rather be ignored by the both of them.

We quickly adjourned in the living room area, quickly sitting down in the chair we always took.

"Hello brothers," I said and they nodded to me with smiles on their faces. "You understand why we are here and what we need to discuss?"

"Yes," the three of them said in unison.

I nodded. "Good. Alice is still no closer to seeing the outcome of this little visit, and I wanted to see if anyone thought they knew why?"

It was quiet for a moment as everyone collected their thoughts. I could nearly see the figurative cogs working in each of my brother's brilliant minds.

"It is obviously a supernatural interference," Marcus stated. We nodded, in agreement.

"Yes," Aro affirmed. "Alice's visions are subjective, yes, but they have never failed in this way without good reason. But what could it be?" He turned to Caius. "Brother, you have experienced things that none of us have… do you have any idea?"

Caius' brow furrowed. "Perhaps," he said, pursing his lips. "There are only two other supernatural beings that I know of: the children of the night, and shape shifters. It could be either of those."

"Shape shifters?" Edward asked, looking between us. "Children of the night?"

"Werewolves, my love," I said, leaning into his arms. "Children of the night are the true werewolves whereas shape-shifters can turn from a human into any animal of their choice. I believe there are quite a few packs of shape-shifters in America?"

Marcus nodded. "Yes, there are, and particularly from the Indian tribes."

"Hmm," Caius said with distaste. "And the children of the night… they are based in Europe. I doubt some of the Indian tribes of America even know that they are shape shifters. They would most likely believe that they are only able to transform into one animal. Like the wolf – that is common. I doubt they know of the children of the night's existence. They sure have no reason to converse with them."

"Hmm," Aro replied, clearly amused. "Though that may have something to do with your little mission, eh?"

I raised an eyebrow as he chuckled darkly, making Caius huff and snarl. "I only did what was necessary, I assure you. The true 'were' is a horrid creature."

"What is this?" I asked, frowning as I looked between my two oldest brothers.

"Your brother here has a personal tirade against the children of the night. He sent forces to exterminate most of them."

I raised an eyebrow, "and when was this?"

"Hah!" Caius snorted, "Centuries ago, sister – back in the fifteenth century, in fact. And it really is of no consequence."

"Hmm," I replied.

"May I request that we get back to the task at hand?" Marcus inputted and his voice was the epitome of irritation.

"Yes, I must say I agree," I commented. "As funny as this seems to be for you, Aro, we have more pressing details to discuss at the moment. Save the taunting of our brother for later." I turned to Caius and Marcus. "Now, which do you think it is? My guess would have to be the shape shifters."

Marcus nodded. "Yes, I believe you're right, sister. Considering the good doctor is from North America, it would make sense. The question is rather how he got them here."

"Hah!" Aro laughed. "Don't be so obtuse, brother, use that dear brain of yours. Obviously, he flew them over on a plane. They are not in their other form all the time, of course, and I must say that it would have to be the fastest way."

Marcus' top lip curled up in a snarl, but he said nothing to make his distaste apparent.

Caius took his turn to speak. "As forthcoming as our brother is, he is right. We must consider that they are partly human, as well. In addition, because the werewolf is our natural enemy, I believe the tribe he must be working with is the Quilleute tribe from Washington. They would be more than willing to help."

"To help one single vampire take on other vampires?" I snorted disbelievingly. "I suppose if they are ignorant enough to believe they are so much better then perhaps they would. However I hardly doubt they are doing it because of some sort of proper alliance… which begs me to ask what they are getting out of this. Action?"

"The chance to kill the big fish in the vampire world," Edward replied, looking down at me. "Think about it. If their egos are so large that they honestly think they are so much better than us and yet they are working with their natural enemy then that must be the only thing they are thinking – they want to face the big guns. To see what they are up against in this world."

I nodded. "So Doctor Carlisle Cullen is working with the shape shifters from Washington state, their goal being our downfall. Interesting…" I trailed off, my mind working quickly as I sorted through the information that we had acquired and what more we needed to do in order to be ready for this.

"Yes, but it would have been better if we had come to this conclusion at an earlier date," Marcus replied.

We all looked at him questioningly. "Well, think about it. We have set up a whole, elaborate defence plan that will now need to be scraped. If we are really up against shape shifters, then the way in which we fight – if it comes to that – will be very different. Perhaps one could say easier unless this tribe is more experienced than we think."

I nodded. "I suppose it is time to pay a visit to Jasper. See what he has to say. Perhaps he can help us and give us some input."

"I believe that would be very helpful," Caius said. "Might I suggest that only you two go? I believe that would be easier, don't you? It's sure to be less of a hassle that way."

I smiled. "I believe you are right. We shall go up to our chambers and leave in… oh, let's say an hour?"

"Very well, then."

And with that, we bid each other goodbyes and parted.

* * *

**What did you think of that, everyone? I hope it was as interesting for you as it was for me. :)**

**Not a lot to say at this point... just... see you in two days!**

**Please review**

**bexie25**


	15. The Major

**Hello!**

**I am so sorry for not updating sooner! I know I was supposed to update again that Wednesday, but I got about half-way through this chapter and his a damned hard road-block. That later became full-blown writers block for all of my stories except just one - although that one struggled a little as well - and the only way to clear it up was to write a ginormous oneshot. **

**And my ginormous, I mean freakin' massive, mm'k? It's 43 pages long, and nearly 20 thousand words. O.o**

**So I only missed one update, which I will try to make up for but apart from that, I will not be trying to make up for any missed updates anymore if it's more than one. I just can't do that. **

**Anyways, I think I'll let you go and read this chapter. Please read the AN below because it is REALLY IMPORTANT! ;)**

**Thanks to Dawning Juliet for beta-ing this. If you didn't know already, I have betas now and Dawning Juliet is gonna work on this one and I'm a Girl with Power... and my oneshots.**

* * *

"So, where do Alice and Jasper live?" Edward asked me as we slowly walked back up to our chambers. His arm was around my waist, my body curled against his with my hand on his firm chest. I looked up at him.

"Not far from here. Just a few minutes run, actually," I replied, smiling at him.

"Why don't they live here?"

I shrugged, though it was awkward with how intertwined we were. "They didn't want to, and my brothers and I didn't mind. We know how faithful they are to us… otherwise we would not have let them outside the castle walls. Besides, they are mates, and they have greatly serviced the Volturi."

"Hmm," Edward hummed. I looked up at him to see that he was deep in thought; his brow was furrowed, and there was a slight frown on his gorgeous face.

"What is it, my love?" I asked, stepping in front of him to stop him from going any further. I put my hands on his shoulders and made him look at me. "What is your brilliant mind construing now?" I purred up at him, eyebrow cocked.

He blinked, relaxed, and sighed. "It's nothing, darling. Don't worry about it–or me."

I let out a non-committal reply, but let it go for now. I knew my mate better than anybody else, so I knew there was something bothering him, and my only hope was that he'd let me in and tell me–sooner rather than later. However, I also knew that I couldn't force him. My mate is loving, loyal, faithful, possessive, and protective… all these attributes sometimes made it hard for him to open up to me untill he was completely ready. And besides, with everything that was surely on his mind, he really didn't need me on his case. I trusted him enough to leave him alone in his thoughts.

I quietly led Edward up to our chambers, and he made a bee-line for the shower. I watched after him for a moment before walking to the mirror in our room. I re-applied my red lipstick and touched up a few other things, before I sat down on one of the lounges and waited for my mate.

He came out from the bathroom not two minutes later, a sexy smirk on his face. No matter how many times I had seen my Edward completely naked and obviously hard for me – from what I could see of his cock as it pushed against the plush white towel – I was still totally unprepared for the majestic power of his muscles. His flat but well-built chest and abdomen, powerful thighs and biceps, along with the rippling planes of what I could not see–his back–always took my breath away, making me want him.

His eyes connected with mine, and as they took in my apparent desire, he inhaled slowly. His eyes closed for a moment, a low growl reverberating in his chest as they opened again.

Pitch black.

But then I remembered that we were supposed to be going somewhere else, and that as much as I really wanted to pin him against the bed… or the couch… or the wall… or any flat surface, really, we just didn't have time. I growled, frustrated. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply for a few moments to calm down before I could even speak to Edward.

"We can't, Edward," I spoke softly, looking into his eyes. "As much as I really want to, we really need to get going."

Edward smirked. "That's ok. Just let me get dressed."

And then he dropped the towel, laughing as I groaned.

I growled and raised an eyebrow, to which he raised his.

_Ugh. My sexy, sexy man… why must you be so devastatingly desirable?_

_**oOoOo**_

It didn't take long at all. Only ten minutes later, we were walking out of the castle. We looked at each other and Edward reached for my hand. I smiled at him, placed my hand in his and with that, we were off.

It was a short, uneventful run. Edward and I were content to run in silence for the most part, and I led the way, having visited Alice and Jasper many a time in the past. I was actually looking forward to speaking with them as they both had lived through a lot. Jasper had been a Major in the Civil War, changed by the vicious Maria–a vampire whose thirst for power made her a strong and malicious killing machine. He had plenty of experience with newborns as he'd worked with Maria while she led them all into the Southern wars. Alice, on the other hand, was a powerful seer and the only one of her kind in the vampire world.

Though neither was as old as my brothers or I, they were still very handy to have around, and their loyalty knew no bounds.

I told Edward all of this in fast whispers as we ran. He soaked up all the knowledge he could, and I noticed that he seemed more confident now that he was well-versed on the situation.

Soon, the forest thinned, the path becoming more discernible, straight, instead of winding. The shrubbery was now trimmed neatly instead of growing wild; a clear sign of domesticity. These were all the tell-tale signs of the Whitlocks' home. I looked pointedly at Edward before slowing; immediately catching on, he did the same.

We came upon the edge of a clearing, a brick house nestled in the middle of it. Edward looked around, his keen eyes taking in every detail of the location; it was exactly what I'd done the first time I had come here.

"This is actually a nice area," he said, glancing down at me. "Don't you think?"

I looked around myself. "Hmm, yes. It is. Though I personally wouldn't like to live here. It's more Alice and Jasper's style."

Edward looked down at me and purred, "No, of course. Only the best of my sexy Queen, hmm?"

I licked my lips. I loved it when he came up with something new to call me, and combined with that voice… oh, fuck me. "Don't tempt me to pin you against the tree and have my way with you, Edward. I will, you know," I warned him.

He chuckled huskily. "It's what I'm hoping for, darling."

I scowled up at him. "We have no time," I stressed.

He raised his hands, palms forward in surrender. "I know, my love. I was only teasing."

I snarled, about to say something, but at this point we had reached the house. I looked at him again, making sure he understood that this conversation was by no means over.

He smiled down at me, licked his lips, and leaned down. I sighed, my anger for him having already dissipated long ago, and leaned into him. Edward teased me, lightly brushing his lips against mine, taking his sweet damned time. I growled, my hand flying up to his hair, fisting into the strands as I pulled him down to me. I slammed my lips to his, my actions were met with a growl which I swallowed as I thrust my tongue into his mouth. I moaned, loving the taste of him and the ever so faint taste of myself.

When I let go of him, I straightened his clothes and then my own before walking to the house, leaving Edward standing there. When I reached the front door, I turned to look at him. "Coming?"

"In a minute I will be," he mumbled, and I hissed. He smirked at me, and came to my side. "Sorry, love."

"Mhmm," I replied brusquely. I lifted my hand to the door just as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me back against him. I settled my body against him just as the door was opened.

"Edward, Isabella," Alice greeted us, stepping aside instantly. Jasper suddenly appeared just behind Alice, an arm wrapped around her slight waist, mirroring exactly Edward's hold on me. "Please, come in."

We nodded and smiled curtly, stepping through the threshold and into the quiet, cabin-like home.

It was very nice, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely not for me. It was small, but homey; the colours were rich, the clear theme red and rich oak brown. It was one story, and the first room you walked into was an open-planned space. To the right was a television on the wall, and a couch set in front of it. On either side of the television were floor to ceiling bookshelves. To the left was more formal seating area with two couches and a lovely coffee table set in the middle.

That was as far as I had ever gone into the house, and despite that, the rest of the house was closed off for privacy by a door the far left of the room. The wall next to the door was lined with photographs of varying sizes and subjects, with a few more bookshelves to the far right.

It was elegant and very simple, but as I said, not for me.

We were silently led to the left of the room, Edward and I sitting on one couch while Alice and Jasper took the one in front of us.

"You know why we're here?" I asked, looking to Alice.

She nodded. "Yes, but there are holes; I see our discussion in bits and pieces to a certain point, and then it completely goes dark."

"That makes sense," I said. "We've determined that the reason why you cannot see all of the future is because Carlisle Cullen has somehow made a pact with our mortal enemy."

Jasper frowned. "That's very strange indeed. What would werewolves get from this deal?"

I smirked wryly, looking at Edward. "The chance to take out the bigger fish in the sea," I said.

"Are these the same ones he made that treaty with?" Jasper asked me. "The pack from that small tribe near Forks? La Push, was it not called?"

I shrugged. "I imagine so. Why? Does it matter?"

"Quite so," Jasper nodded. "That pack fights any vampire that comes into their territory or thereabouts, from what I've heard. They'd no doubt be very experienced."

I frowned. "Would that be a problem?"

Jasper shrugged, looking thoughtful. "Not really. As your Major, I have prepared your guard and army for such occasions but we have no idea if the pack as grown or not. If they have, I have no doubt that our men can cover them, but they may need extra training."

"Do you think you have enough time for that?" Edward asked, leaning forward.

Jasper nodded. "I should, if I start tonight."

I nodded firmly. "Whatever it takes. You have my express permission. If any of your soldiers complain, send them to me."

"But what if his plans change?" Alice asked and we looked to her. "I mean, I'm completely in the dark here. I can't even tell you the possibilities of how this will turn out. I can't tell you what changes may occur. You'd have to play it completely by ear."

Jasper hushed her, sending her a comforting smile as his hand massaged her hip bone. "It will be fine, little darlin'," he told her. "If I may, Isabella, would it be acceptable for me to be in the room with you during the confrontation? If there is any change, Edward and I could detect it immediately-"

"But how would I be able to detect it?" Edward interjected. "I can't read the minds of animals."

"No, you can't," Jasper agreed, "But you _can _read the minds of humans and these werewolves are half-human. It does not matter if they are the children of the moon or shape-shifters; they are all half-human. You should be able to hear their minds just as easily as you hear any other person's."

Edward nodded, saying nothing in return.

Jasper looked to me and I gestured for him to continue.

"As I was saying, between the two of us, we would be able to detect any changes. I'll prepare my men for whatever game plan there may be, just in case," he assured me. "Whatever the cost, we will win this battle."

"Good. That's all I wanted to know. If there is anything you feel the need to run by me then please do so. Edward and I will also want to hear of any plans you have for this meeting. And just so you know, no matter what, Edward will be the one to end the good doctor's second life."

Jasper nodded stoically. He shook both our hands, opting to stay where he was as his mate showed us out.

"Thank you," I said to Alice.

Alice smiled in acknowledgement. "I am glad we could be of service, Isabella. Please notify your soldiers that Jasper will commence training later tonight at nine."

"Of course; and Alice if you see anything – anything at all – come to us immediately."

She bowed her head dutifully, biding us farewell once more, and we parted ways.

* * *

**Ok then. That's that. What do you think?**

**Also, I've made a facebook group for all of my fanfictions now. Here's the link: facebook groups / 327932867322639 /**

**Hope to see you there! :)**

**Please review and I'll see you sometime _within_ the next two weeks for that extra update!**

**bexie25**


	16. Withdrawn

**Hello this fine Tuesday - for me, anyway - morning!**

**This is the catch-up chapter. This is probably the only time that I'm doing this, but that's because I have the next few chapters completely planned out. I don't usually use a plan, but I wanted to be able to tell you how many chapters until THE chapter... which will start next chapter, btw.**

**Thanks to Dawning Juliet for beta-ing this for me. I sent it last night and got it back this morning. :)**

**I hope you like this chapter. I think it was a necessary one because really, if you had to face your creator who didn't agree with what you were doing and who was planning to kinda kill you or your mate or something, I have a feeling you'd be like this too.**

**Oh and uh, surprise lemon warning! It fit and I think it's hot... and so does Dawning Juliet. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

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Edward was not himself.

It was now the day after our visit with Alice and Jasper, and tomorrow, Doctor Cullen would arrive. The castle was a bubble of hard work; the guard training, Jasper scheming with my brothers, Edward and me. The rest all still preparing for the Good Doctor's and the mutts' arrival.

After we had left Alice and Jasper's little cabin house, and upon arrival at the castle, I had called the guard to the throne room. Most took the news of their new training schedule well, but I reassured the others that didn't that if they had any issues, they could come to me and we would "deal with them".

They quickly got the message, filing out of the hall silently when I dismissed them to hold a meeting with my brothers.

Jasper arrived shortly after, and they had been training ever since.

And yet, through all of this, Edward had hardly said a word. He was silent during discussions of what was to come, throughout the meeting with my brothers, and almost _withdrawn _whenever we were alone. As we made love last night, one of the rare times that we were gentle and slow, Edward looked into my eyes, and I in his.

What I saw there worried me. There was a new level of intensity, a higher one. But there was also fear, worry, and anger. I could not, for the life of me, determine what caused the first and last, but I knew he was worried about facing his creator, as was I. I didn't want my Edward facing the man that had taught him the abominable ways; who taught him he was a monster if he gave into the nature that was right for us, for vampires; the very same nature that had been depicted in media and cinema and literature for hundreds of years.

Yes, I wanted Edward to let go, and be that monster but when he did, he did not feel monstrous. He felt it was right, just as he should. I certainly did not want him to feel that he was a monster if he _did _hunt our natural prey just because that bastard said it was so.

I was damned close to relinquishing my promise and killing the good doctor myself! How _dare_ he enforce such notions in my mate! How dare he make him feel like he was anything less than the spectacular, perfect being that he was!

But then there was the fact that I was indebted to him. He did, after all, save my mate from sure death. And whilst that feeling of gratitude was not strong enough for me to refuse anyone to kill him, I wasn't sure I could kill him myself when he was responsible, in part, for my serenity.

However, if he caused any trouble when he got here, if he made my man think for even a second that he was in the wrong, there would be hell to pay. Anyone who fucked with my Edward was going to be fucked _over _by me.

I had tried once this morning to bring it up with Edward, asking him gently what the problem was. He refused to answer. He smiled and shrugged it off, telling me it was nothing before he kissed my forehead and walked into the bathroom. I lay there on the bed, unsure of whether or not I should follow him, my eyes watching the bathroom door. Only a moment later I heard the water run and I sighed.

When we had dressed for the day, we left the room. I suggested that we meet with Jasper for a progress report as he was still training our guard. Edward simply nodded, saying nothing as we headed over to the courtyard.

And again, I frowned to myself, looking the other way.

When we arrived, Jasper was yelling at one of the soldiers. I watched on as he dealt with him, threatening to torch him the next time he made the same mistake twice. The male looked my way, swallowed, and then fell back in line, disappearing in the mass of numbers.

Jasper followed his gaze and nodded at us before making his way to our side.

"Isabella, Edward," he said in greeting.

We nodded at him.

"How are they doing?" I asked, leaning into Edward's side.

Edward's arm wrapped around my waist possessively and he massaged my hip, occasionally dropping telling kisses to my forehead, showing any straggling eyes that I belonged to him and only him. I smiled to myself, thinking wryly that he had at least maintained this part of his usual self.

"They are doing fine," Jasper replied. He looked towards them, hands on his hips as he surveyed their movements and fighting skills. I imagined he was matching them up to what he expected of them. "They are making progress. We have already discussed and thoroughly planned and trained for two situations. This is the last and then our training session will end."

I nodded. "And do you expect that they will be ready for the mutts?"

Jasper nodded. "Definitely," he replied confidently. "They are fine men in good condition, I have no doubt they will defend you aptly. They will do you proud."

I gave him a small smile. "That is good. Any problems? I understand that young man from before was not doing as well as the others?"

He smiled wryly. "He has been difficult over the course of the night. He is too proud, and does not take the pending fight seriously. Nor does he think he needs the new skills I am teaching them."

My eyes narrowed. "But will he fall in line?"

Jasper nodded. "I am sure that your being here has already done that."

"Hmm," I replied curtly. My eyes scanned the mass of our guard—a small part of my mind acknowledging the size with pride—as I searched for the guard in question. I located him towards the back; it seemed he had tried to move out of sight after he'd seen me here. "Well if you do have any problems with him, send him to me. I already assured them all that if they caused you trouble that was where they would end up."

Jasper smirked. "Of course, Isabella," he replied.

I nodded and, without another word, we both parted.

The rest of the day was just the same. Edward would be silent, but his hands would be all over me the whole time.

It was only after he completely ignored me when I was trying to get him to open up to me that I lost it, growling as I got up. I stood in front of him as he looked up at me blankly.

"What is going on, Edward?" I snarled.

He winced, but otherwise didn't acknowledge the question. I growled again, my hand flying up as I cupped his jaw and forced him to look at me. "What. Is. Going. On?" I hissed each word through clenched teeth.

"Nothing," Edward said evenly.

I inhaled sharply, glaring at him before I turned on my heel and flew to the door. I turned to face him again, shaking my head. "I'm going to hunt," I said as I wrenched the door open and flew out of the castle.

I ran, not taking into account where I was going or for how long I had been running. It was only when I reached the city of Bergamo, which was at least three hours away, that I realised even the direction I had taken.

I was just about to turn around and go back when a magnificent, mouth-watering scent hit me. My reaction was instantaneous; my mouth filled with venom, my top lip pulled back in a snarl, and my muscles coiled, ready to spring on my victim as my mind closed off everything other than my prey's scent.

I made my way toward the scent soundlessly, having pinpointed its location just a few hundred metres to my east. The human did not even hear nor sense me until it was too late, until I was on top of him – a male, I noted – my teeth sinking into his neck. He screamed as my hand clenched around his neck, pushing the blood into my mouth even quicker.

My victim was dead and drained in less than two minutes.

I stood up, licking my lips dry of the male's delectable blood. I pulled him up over my shoulder and ran a few miles out of town. I dug a hole deep enough that, even if anyone who searched for this man _did _find his burial site, they would not find him.

I dumped him into the grave and then quickly refilled it. I smirked down at my work, content, and then turned and ran back home.

My anger had mostly diminished by the time I passed Parma. I was nearly home, and I simply wanted all of this fuckery over with. I wanted tomorrow's events to be past us already so Edward and I could get on with our lives. I also wanted to speak with Edward and see if he would finally open up to me. I knew that my leaving in haste and anger had hurt him—not that I was going to apologise—and I could only hope that it had also knocked some sense into him. That maybe it would be what made him open up to me about just how he was feeling and why he was now so withdrawn and distracted.

It seemed my hopes were answered when I reached the outside wall of our castle. I looked up as I slowed, my eyes having been on the ground the whole time as I'd pushed myself the fastest I could go. Immediately, my eyes landed on a very remorseful and sombre Edward.

I raised an eyebrow, my jaw flexing as I stopped just in front of him, but not close enough for him to touch me. I crossed my arms and looked at him evenly, trying to keep a cool façade.

"Isabella," my mate whispered. He swallowed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shut you out. It's just that I've been so… caught up in my thoughts that I haven't been myself. I'm sorry I wouldn't tell you what has been on my mind, but I didn't want you to worry. I didn't want to make a big deal over nothing."

I frowned, growling under my breath. "This is not _nothing_, Edward," I hissed furiously. "You haven't said a word to me today, and yet your hands haven't strayed from me once! What is going on in that head of yours? What is so consuming that you can't even say a word to your own damn _mate_?"

He winced. "I guess I deserved that," he whispered, a wry smile on his face.

I huffed. "Yes, that and then some."

"Isabella, I'm sorry," he repeated. My eyes narrowed, but I was no longer angry at him, I couldn't be.

"What was on your mind, Edward?" I repeated the question, only now I spoke softly.

He sighed, covering his face with his hands in what seemed to be shame. When he spoke, it was but a whisper. "Carlisle is what. And you," he looked up at me, searching for something, his gaze pleading. I frowned. "I don't want to let you down. I am a lot stronger, my love, but I don't know if I will be able to stand up to Carlisle. He makes you feel guilty, that is his game. That is how he makes you believe that it is your choice when really he is making it for you. He makes you feel guilty for straying off _his _path. The feelings I had after I killed that woman were enough to make me come here and try to get myself killed. Hell, I would be dead now if it weren't for you. I don't want to face him with the risk that he could get to me again, but at the same time, I want the satisfaction of ending him myself for stopping me from having this," he looked at me, smirking, but there was love in his eyes, love that I had not seen to that degree since yesterday.

"That is all I needed to know, my love," I replied softly. In less than a split second, I was in front of him, my arms wrapped around his neck and my mouth on his. He purred, his hands gripping my ass as he lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. The purr he'd let loose still resonated within him, vibrating through his body and into mine. The sensation made my pussy throb as he rubbed against me and I whimpered, throwing my head back as I tore my lips from his.

"I saw how that man was looking at you, my darling," he growled against my neck. He nipped it harshly and I hissed, bucking into him. "I saw the look on his face. He desired what is _mine_," he snarled, sinking his teeth into the skin of my neck, marking me with his mark.

"Yours, my Edward," I moaned long and hard. I rubbed my pussy against his cock, feeling it twitch against my clit. My hands gripped the back of his shirt at the top of his neck, and in one tug, it was ripped from his body.

He purred. "My sexy sin."

I chuckled. "Is that what I am? Your sin?" My hand wandered down between us, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, then shoving them down in the blink of an eye. His cock was bare, as he'd not worn underwear.

His eyes smouldered as he growled. "My greatest," he grounded out as he rubbed the head of his cock against my slit for just a moment before he thrust into me. Hard.

I screamed, my head falling back as I squeezed my eyes closed, tightly. It was just too much when he took me like this; I felt so full, as if we were truly one. His hands grabbed and groped my flesh, his mouth playing with my nipples, making them hard enough to cut glass.

_Ecstasy._

He set a hard, punishing pace. His hands and mouth were hard and possessive on my skin as well, but every kiss we shared was gentle, an apology.

And I forgave him, I already had. Really, logically, I knew that he'd never meant to shut me out. Not on purpose. He was only frightened. His maker would be here tomorrow, the same man who had broken him, made him feel like a failure after his first slip from that preposterous diet.

But really, what else could he expect of a newborn? No newborn had the strength to control themselves around humans. Not within the first year and especially not in his first months!

I felt my anger brew inside me just as that familiar feeling in my abdomen started to become almost too much. I was so close, and judging from the snarls, grunts, moans and growls that Edward was unleashing with every hard and deep thrust, he was as well.

I grabbed Edward's face in my hands, ripping his mouth from my breast. I kissed him hard, fiercely, and then pulled back again as he purred. I moaned as the vibration made him hit that sweet spot within me, arching my back as I pulled him closer to me.

"Mine," I growled into his neck before I sunk my teeth into the skin there, biting him, claiming him again.

He roared and, swelling within me, he came. His climax milked my own and I screamed again, my body jack-knifing, my head falling back. I heard Edward groan, and in the next second, his lips were on my skin. He kissed my neck once, twice, and then a third time before he bit down, his teeth sinking into my neck. Just as I had, he claimed me for the world to see. There was really no other point to it, apart from the extreme pleasure and satisfaction whilst creating the mark and afterwards when seeing it there.

He had already claimed my heart completely and utterly.

And so, come tomorrow, I would defend and fight for him. I would be his anchor as he faced the man that had weakened him to the point where he nearly begged me for death.

We would overcome this. We were mates and we were all we ever needed.

Fuck Doctor Carlisle Cullen and his pack of mutts.

We would win.

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**So yeah. That's that. I'll see you next Wednesday for the next chapter. ;)**

**Also, please check out my new oneshot. It's for Jacob haters, and The Kiss just before the battle haters. *Nods and points at self* I'm one of 'em, so I wrote an Eclipse AU about what would happen if Jacob had yet again kissed Bella against her will, but manipulated his thoughts - he's the King of Manipulation, he can do that shit - to make Edward think it was all A-OK with Bella.**

**So... please check it out, and review!  
**

**That's all from me until next Wednesday, which is the... 30th of January. And just so you know, my birthday is this week... the 25th... so please review :)**

**See ya!**

**bexie25**


	17. Power

***Comes out from hiding and peers around* Hello…?**

**I know. I know. As my history teacher says to people from time to time… "Do you know how to spell incompetent? Good, because that's what you should put on your CV."**

**Competence with my stories and actually updating them seems to be my middle name at the moment. Don't worry though… I promise you I will get better at it. I'm starting to write it in my diary so I see it every day and can't POSSIBLY forget, LOL. **

**Please enjoy this and I'll see you down the bottom…**

**Oh, and before I forget… you should have been expecting this cliff-hanger. ;)**

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"Edward, we must go down to greet the guard. Jasper will be giving his final address within the hour. We must be there for that," I informed him gently. Currently, his head was resting on my chest, his lips and tongue playing with my nipple as he tried to seduce me into staying with him for another hour. It was dawn, and Carlisle was due to arrive in just a few hours hence.

"No," my mate growled and sucked said nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. I moaned and gripped his head, my fingers threaded through his hair to hold him there for just a moment before I wrenched his head back and looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"That was dirty," I snarled.

He smirked at me and licked his lips. "Never said I had to play fair."

I purred, "Perhaps…but you know you can have me for days, weeks, months after this little meeting is over without interruption. Right now, we have to do what is right. You know that."

He pouted and I bit the inside of my cheek, glaring at him. "Don't do that. You know it's my weakness."

He purred at me and smiled, laying his head back on my chest. "Hmm, yes, I do know. I know just how much of a weakness it is. In fact," he said, sitting back up a little, nudging my entrance with his fully erect cock, a smirk on his face, "I believe it once had you fuck me right there on your throne…"

I moaned as he flicked my nipple back and forth with his tongue. "Edward…we have to go now…"

"You know you want to stay," he crooned, leaning up to pay special attention to his mark on my neck and that special sweet spot just behind my ear.

My fingers dug into the skin of his back, racking down, and he growled, nudging into me some more. I whimpered and pressed my lips to his, which he took with a triumphant grin as surrender to his will.

**~oOo~**

Finally, Edward let us get dressed. He wore another of his fantastic black suits with a black shirt and a blood red tie. Edward loved it when he could see the mark he left on my neck, and just a little teasing flash of cleavage, so I dressed accordingly in one of my formal blood red dresses that flowed to the ground effortlessly, matching the colour of his tie.

"Very nice," he said when he saw me, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip, his eyes going from red to black in less than half a second.

"Likewise, darling," I purred back, winking at him. I stopped in front of him, noticing the way his eyes flashed down to my breasts, a growl building in his chest before he looked back up at me. He wrapped an arm around my waist, but it did not stay there for long. Almost immediately, it slid down to my ass and he gave it a nice, hard squeeze.

"Naughty."

He winked at me, then led me out of the room and down the hall toward the throne room. Along the way various staff members acknowledged us, but the closer we got, the more on edge Edward seemed to become.

"What is wrong?" I whispered to him.

His arm tightened around my waist as he leaned down. "The thoughts… I'm not used to so many. Your shield, though you don't realize it, usually keeps the voices away when we are alone and sometimes when we are together around others, at least to an extent. This is the first time since my arrival that I have heard everything from everyone. It is very unsettling."

I frowned. "I am sorry, my darling. I honestly didn't realize."

He smiled down at me. "And neither did I until just a few moments ago."

"Would you like me to shield you?" I asked, concerned. The last thing I wanted was my mate to be unsettled or in any kind of pain—I knew he got headaches sometimes, though he refused to tell me outright—when we were meeting his creator.

"No, my love," he purred, nipping at my jaw. "It's fine. I need to get used to this, see if I can block what I want to hear or not. That will take time, which we most certainly have."

"Hmm," I replied non-sensibly, my tongue darting out to moisten my lips. "That we do."

By this time, we had arrived at the doors leading into the throne room. Upon our arrival, the doors were opened and we walked through to see my brothers and their mates already waiting for us. My eyes roamed the room after I nodded to them, and I found Jasper and Alice in the corner with twenty of our guards. I was aware that the others were spread out around the castle.

I looked up at Edward and saw that he was looking where I was. He nodded toward them, promptly leading the way.

Jasper turned just before we stopped in front of them. "Hello Isabella, Edward."

"Hello, Jasper, Alice," I said, nodding to an excited Alice, who waved back. Jasper chuckled under his breath and wrapped his arm around his wife; the response was immediate as he used his power to calm her down. I looked to Jasper. "How are we doing?"

"Well," he replied. "My men are ready."

"Good," I said, eyeing the men in question who were standing, silent and attentive, behind him. "Are you ready to give the final address?"

He nodded, so I turned to his wife. "Alice, when do you see the Doctor arriving?"

"Within the hour, Isabella," she said. "The wolves are making it difficult for me to pinpoint an exact time, along with the fact that I have never met the man myself."

"Perhaps if you showed me, Alice," Edward suggested, and I looked up at him immediately. "If I knew what you were seeing, I could help you."

She sighed and nodded. "It couldn't do any damage." She then closed her eyes, and I knew he was witnessing her vision when the muscles of his hand flexed and he gripped my hip. I leaned into him to show my support.

Moments later, Alice's eyes opened. I looked up at Edward to see his eyes open as well. For a few seconds, he simply looked at her, and she at him. I knew they were silently discussing what they had just seen, but still, it was unnerving not hearing anything.

Finally, they seemed to have finished their conversation and Edward looked down at me. "I was just discussing with Alice what she had seen exactly. The vision wasn't as clear as usual for some reason. We were discussing the likelihood of a power causing this."

I frowned. "And what did you decide?"

He shrugged. "We cannot be sure until Carlisle and his pack arrive. I need to see into their minds to pick up on it, and I believe you said there was someone here who could pick up on gifts?"

I nodded. "Eleazar. It's his gift to categorise and identify the gifts of others."

He nodded and was about to say something, when Alice gasped. Our heads snapped around to look at her, and I noticed immediately that Edward was watching as he let out a snarl and his arm tightened around me.

He looked at Jasper as Alice slowly opened her eyes, though he was more urgent than she seemed to be. "Jasper, give your address now. Carlisle will be arriving a lot earlier than we had originally planned."

"How did this happen?" I asked, looking between my mate and the only seer in the vampire world.

She looked at me with nothing but remorse. "I have no idea, I'm so sorry, Isabella. It seems that whatever Carlisle Cullen's gift is, it plays with others' gifts and interferes with them somehow."

"Yes," I said dryly, anger showing through my voice as I continued. "And it must be damned powerful if it works on someone he hasn't even met."

Alice nodded, looking down for a moment before she looked back up at Edward, a curious look on her face. "Did you notice that when you were with him?"

"What?"

"Anything," she shrugged. "Did his gift interfere with yours?"

Edward furrowed his brow, looking down and away for a few moments. I could tell he was deep in thought as he sifted through memories of them together. "I…I don't know."

I frowned and cupped his face in my hands. "What do you mean, darling?"

He looked down at me, confusion colouring his face. "I… I can't remember. I can't remember anything from the time I woke up to when Carlisle left." He pulled me closer to him and I let him, knowing he needed comfort. "I get the gist of it, but… it's… everything's blurry. And I'm feeling… I don't know. Like new memories are surfacing, but somehow I know they're fake."

"It's Carlisle's gift," I heard a deep male voice say, and I looked over my shoulder.

"Eleazar," I nodded.

He smiled at me and nodded as well before turning back to Edward. "Your mind reading saves you from Carlisle's gift. Everything you have described—blurry memories, the complications and manipulations of your visions, and even these wolves coming with him (we all know they wouldn't)—is due to Carlisle's gift. Now, if you weren't gifted, you would be affected, which is why," he looked at me, "you will have to shield everyone from now onwards."

I scowled, but promptly did as he suggested. "And what is the Doctor's gift?"

He smirked. "Manipulation and mind control, Miss. A most powerful gift. I cannot be sure, of course, and I will need to wait until he is here, but from the way you have described everything, I am confident I have the right answer," he answered, promptly turning and walking back to his mate.

"Of course," I murmured. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"Never mind that, my love," Edward purred in my ear to calm me down. I smiled as it worked instantly. "We are prepared now. All we must do is let Jasper make his last speech to the guard and then we will be ready."

He began to lead me toward the thrones at the back centre of the room. We were halfway there when my shield jolted.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as I struggled to keep my shield up for a moment before it almost _solidified_, becoming impenetrable, and I smirked.

"Bella?"

I looked up into the worried eyes of my mate. I smiled softly and cupped his cheek. "I'm afraid we have no time for that now," I said gently, looking over my shoulder at the big double doors at the opposite side of the room. "He is here. And Eleazar is right; he most definitely has a gift."

I turned to face the doors, and Edward did the same, standing right by my side, his arms wrapped around me.

Just then, the doors were pushed open and in walked the doctor himself. Behind him were at least eight wolves. I looked to Jasper, who had already lined up with the rest of his soldiers, and nodded. He snapped his fingers and, in an instant, the guard was in a different alignment.

I turned back to look at the smirking Doctor and snarled as his eyes settled on my Edward.

"Hello, Son."

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**Cruel, I know. **

**This is what Dawning said: **** OMG with that cliffie! I'm so glad I get to read the chapter in advance, I'm dying to know what happens!**

**Did you like the parallel of Carlisle's canon "gift"? Everyone says he has the gift of compassion, so I turned it on its head… only one person picked up on it. Kudos to jenn9394.**

**I want to try and update early for you. Maybe.**

**Please review,**

**bexie25**


	18. The Good Doctor's End

**Hello**

**I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update. It is simply inexcusable. But what can I say? Year 11 has taken me by surprise and it's been hard to get a new balance on my stories and school work. Not only that, but I tried writing this, had trouble with it, then tried to write EPOV a while later, had trouble with that... and then opened this document to find it had 1200 words written already... and I actually wrote something good, LOL. Plus, I'm finally on holidays with zero stress, so I'm trying to finish stories and post more often.**

**More on that down the bottom, along with a little announcement that I hope you'll be happy about. :)**

**Thanks to Dawning Juliet for beta-ing this. :)**

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Carlisle Cullen was not what I was expecting.

He was slight in build, quite lean, and perhaps of average height. I could tell immediately, due to the vampire's enhanced sight, that my brothers and my mate towered over him, making him look small and scraggly. He was utterly disheveled in appearance as well; his black slacks, his dress shoes, and the crisp white shirt he wore were tattered, worn, and dripping wet, contrasting with his hair which was styled and cut perfectly.

When I settled on his face, I could see why he was regarded by many as a beautiful man; his large eyes, his high cheekbones, his somewhat thin lips…they all added to the otherworldly beauty that he—according to some, anyway—possessed.

But really, there was nothing special about him; in light of how many other incredibly good looking men there were—my mate definitely being the most attractive—he was really rather…ordinary.

This was, to some extent, what I had been expecting; after all, it was no lie that if I had not met my mate—curse the thought—I may, perhaps, have found him attractive enough to bed.

_Perhaps._

_A long, long time ago._

But as my eyes zeroed in on his eyes once more, I gasped.

The most unexpected and, dare I say it, _startling _feature was his eyes.

His _red_ eyes.

And that was when it all clicked into place.

My mate really had meant nothing to him. He changed vampires, and set them up with a diet and a way of life in which they would fail. He knew they would, and he did not care; this was what he wanted.

He took pleasure in their failures, and their pains.

It was all a game to him.

And just like that, I was filled with a mad rage. Within my heart of hearts, I wanted to kill this man; instinct drove me to this decision, knowing that this cowardly monster had used our reason for being to satisfy his sick fantasies and games.

My muscles coiled to spring, but I was suddenly held fast. I growled and looked up, only to see that it was my mate who was holding me back. My anger ceased and I leaned back against him as he spoke to the man before us.

"Hello, Carlisle."

My mate did not stutter as he spoke those two words. Once, he certainly would have; he would have fallen to his knees in front of the bastard before us and begged for forgiveness. Not anymore.

I focused my attention on Dr. Cullen as he raised an eyebrow in question, perusing the two of us together. "I see you've changed sides," he said with particular distaste, raking his eyes over me before he smirked at Edward, who had growled at the doctor's actions. "I cannot tell you how much that disappoints me."

"And I cannot tell you how much I don't give a damn," Edward answered calmly, not backing down. I smirked, which brought Carlisle Cullen's attention, once again, to me.

He eyed me for a moment, and I shivered in disgust as his already black eyes darkened. Edward growled, making his sire look at him. He smiled. "So the rumors are true, I see. The great Isabella of the Volturi _has _found her mate…in my Edward. What a coincidence."

I hissed and glared at the words "my Edward," to which he laughed. "And quite a sly fox she is," he remarked, licking his lips in revolting lust. He looked around the room as well, his eyes wandering over the guard's formation. He raised an eyebrow at Edward. "I am quite surprised by all this, Edward. It seems the Volturi guard has been called as if this were a war."

"It is," I said angrily, raising my eyebrow at him as well. "But now that you're here, I suppose we should get on with things."

"Ah, yes," Carlisle said. "Well, my terms are simple. I want my son back."

"I am not your son," Edward hissed. "I am nothing to you anymore."

Carlisle sighed. "Oh, but you are, Edward. Was I not the one who brought you into this life, and subsequently, to your mate? Do not be mistaken; she can come with us. But this life…it is not for you, little Edward. You're too good; much like me, really."

I snarled. "He is nothing like you. You are a vindictive monster who brought him into this life with the purpose of destroying him. You gave him the diet you said you followed—which you evidently don't, as we all can see from the color of your eyes—and waited until he seemed confident enough to embark on this life by himself, knowing that he would fail. And, what is more, you did not abide by the _Sire Act_, which every vampire on earth knows of; you did not stay with him for his newborn year as the legislation specifies you must."

I turned to Jasper. "Jasper, what is he feeling?"

Jasper's eyes were set on the good doctor as he stood before us. "Deception, Ma'am, for the most part."

I nodded and turned back to the bastard. "Do you see, Doctor Cullen? No one can one-up the Volturi; we are the royalty of our kind for a reason. No man of your caliber will ever be able to change that, no matter how hard you try."

He swallowed. "I was hoping it would not come to this, but…" Everyone knew he was lying as he turned around to the wolves he had brought with him, a smirk on his face and a gleam in his eye. "Attack them."

One by one, the wolves' stance changed as they arched their backs, their heads pointed up to the sky as the ear-splitting sound of their howls echoed throughout the castle. Edward and I glanced at each other before I looked at Jasper. He was looking at me intently, and at my nod, he looked back at the guard and gave some sort of sign. Immediately, they teamed up in groups of three and charged at the wolves.

I smirked; they had no chance.

Edward and I, plus my brothers, their mates, and the inner circle of our guard—all gifted, all important and favorites of my brothers and I—stood and watched as our guard quickly killed off the pack of mutts. They were terrible fighters, and I was surprised…and amused.

Were they not supposed to be the protectors of human kind back in their little tribe in Forks, Washington? If so, it was a miracle they'd survived this long. Considering the climate of that particular state, it was quite likely that they'd have met a vampire or five already. How the fuck did they survive?

But my attention was taken away from them when a crazed and panicked Carlisle Cullen did the worst—and stupidest—thing he could have ever done.

He stood stock-still and looked at us, and I noticed how his eyes narrowed. He was concentrating on something.

Several realizations came at once. In the short space of just a few seconds, I understood that not only was he trying—and failing quite dismally, I might add—to use his power on us, but that this was the exact moment that Alice had seen in her vision, the one that suddenly cut off.

I looked around at Alice, who met my eyes with her wide ones, and I nodded. I felt it as Carlisle Cullen's power seeped out from him and I immediately released my shields, holding them tightly around the members of our guard who were starting to throw pieces of the wolves into the fire—needless though it was—and the ones standing on either side of me.

Carlisle roared as he realized that his gift wasn't working and I smirked, chuckling to myself in amusement. Seething, his eyes landed on me, and he seemed to realize that I was the culprit. He roared once again and started at me. Playing along, I backed up, pretending to be a little damsel in distress. Edward growled, but I knew he could see what I was doing; when Carlisle was standing next to him, he grabbed him tight in his hand, preventing him from going further.

I smirked and walked forward. My shield tested the air around me, and when there was no pressure from other gifts, I ceased using it, letting the force-fields fall away from around everyone in the room. As I did this, I snapped my fingers for Felix and Emmett to push him to his knees before me and keep him there.

I reached them then. "Did you really think you could get away with it?" I cooed, smirking down at the snarling Doctor as I gripped his head hard, my nails sinking into his skin. "Really, what were you hoping to accomplish? Because this is all pretty pathetic, if you ask me. You have no chance. But before we kill you, you are going to answer the questions that my Edward asks you."

I released my hold on him and moved to my mate's side. I glanced at Emmett and Felix, who immediately gripped each shoulder. Too hard, obviously, for the good doctor snarled as the sound of a crack echoed throughout the hall.

His eyes were hard as he glared at me.

I smiled back at him.

"Go, my love," I breathed to Edward, looking up at him. I feared what I would do to the bastard in front of us were I to look at him any longer.

"No need, love," Edward said, and I looked up at him. "I got all the answers I needed from him during the fight."

I nodded. "Very well then," I said before I walked forward, stopping in front of Carlisle Cullen.

He was still glaring at me, but his fear was apparent.

I sighed. My hands moved to his neck as I spoke. The wicked gleam in my eyes contrasted the angelic smile on my face. "It's sad, really. Were you any other man, at this point in time I would be expressing how deeply disappointing it is that your actions have warranted a death sentence, considering the depth and majesty of your power. Manipulation is a highly sought-after gift and it would have done wonders for the Volturi if you were a member of the guard." My smile turned into a sneer as my hand tightened around his neck. He grunted as my fingers dug into his skin, venom seeping slowly from the slight puncture wounds. My voice was cold and flat as I continued. "However, as it so happens, I cannot be more satisfied that this is the result of our meeting because I find myself possessing the ability to inflict on you the same amount of pain and grief that you have caused my mate. Goodbye, Doctor Cullen; have a nice afterlife, if there is such a thing for our kind."

I stood back and smiled at Edward, caressing his cheek. I nodded to him and, in the blink of an eye, his hand was wrapped around his sire's neck. Without a moment of hesitance, and with the flick of his wrist, Edward dropped Doctor Cullen's decapitated body. It fell to the ground with a thud, and cracks formed on the man's skin. In a blur, he was gone from sight and it only took me a split second to realize that Edward had kicked his body into the flames, along with his head.

He turned to me, staring for a moment. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Instantly, Edward was standing in front of me, and I was in his arms. He drew me close and kissed me hard on the lips. I sighed and melted into my mate's embrace, resting my head on his chest.

Finally, the manipulative bastard—the good doctor, Carlisle Cullen—was no more.

* * *

**Announcement time… **

**So, I've been thinking and I came up with a plot for a sequel. It'll be about as long as this one (so, 20 chapters, including epilogue… exactly the same amount as this one). I've never explored the kind of thing that I'm going to in the sequel and I must say… I am REALLY excited!**

**Also, at the moment I am working on trying to finish one story at a time. Cosmic Love is first, at there's only ten chapters (7 regular, 1 epi, 2 outtakes) left. One chapter posted a day.**

**After that will be this one, because it is long overdue and… well, it's damn-near completion; one more regular (which explains all about Carlisle's thoughts and what we didn't previously know about him and what he did to humans like Edward… basically, it's a breakdown of his character) and then an epilogue. **

**So, yeah… that's it from me. I'll see you soonish for the last regular chapter. :) More details on the sequel will be posted in the epi. I hope you all tag along for it…**

**Thanks and please review,**

**bexie25**


	19. The Truth

**Hi everyone!**

**Bet you weren't expecting an update so quickly, huh? Well, here it is. And it's the last regular chapter of Femme Fatale.**

**See you down the bottom (which you MUST read, ok?)**

* * *

Sometime later, Edward and I found ourselves in our bedroom. I knew Edward wanted to tell me what I had uncovered from his maker's mind, but something told me it would be difficult for him. Just the thought of what he might have seen and heard made me want to kill Carlisle Cullen all over again.

As soon as the door was shut, Edward had me pressed up against it with my legs wrapped tightly around his waist. With his hands cupping the back of my thighs just below my ass, his lips found mine. I moaned at his taste as his tongue entered my mouth and he kissed me deeply, his tongue running along the roof of my mouth.

"Edward," I panted when he finally released my mouth, only to press open-mouthed kisses down my neck, licking and sucking the skin there. "Edward, please, my love."

He paused for a moment and I looked down to see him smirking up at me, his black eyes glinting wickedly. In the blink of an eye, he had me on the bed, his head between my legs. My panties were gone, my dress pushed up to around my waist, and I shivered as I felt his cold breath against the sensitive skin there. When he looked into my eyes again, they'd become even blacker…more than I'd ever seen them bar our first time together.

And then he looked away, back down at my throbbing core. I whimpered, my head falling back against the pillows, and my eyelids clenching closed. My hands found and gripped his hair as he leaned down and slowly licked from my slit to my clit, which he flicked.

"Fuck," I growled as he forced his tongue between my swollen lips, flicking his tongue back and forth just a few times.

"Oh, I intend to, my sweet," he whispered. The tone of his voice, so husky with lust that I could barely recognize it, made me moan. I tried to buck into his mouth, but he chuckled, his hands flying to my hips to stop my movements.

"Not yet, darling," he told me simply.

I growled in frustration.

Thankfully, my mate took mercy on me only a few minutes later, when he finally spread my lips, a finger thrusting into me, making my hips buck and a cry burst from my lips as his lips wrapped around my clit. His finger was moving at breakneck speed, and the suction of his mouth on my clit was out of this world, but as always with Edward, I wanted—_needed_—more.

And I cried this out to him.

He released my clit and I looked down at him as if he were crazy. What was he doing? He chuckled. "Calm, my darling. I'm giving you more," he whispered as he got up onto his knees. I licked my lips as my eyes landed on his thick, ever-so-hard cock.

My eyes were riveted to him and his gorgeous body… his powerful thighs, his arms, his gorgeous chest and abdomen…his worship-worthy cock…and his heavenly face. His fingers gripped my chin as he forced my legs further apart and my breath hitched as I realized what he was going to do.

I moaned loudly and looked into his eyes, which were as black as his in this moment.

He wrapped my legs around his waist, angling my hips up before he leaned over my body, pressing every inch of it against his. He looked into my eyes as his cock probed my entrance.

My breath hitched as he slammed in, and I climaxed instantly, having already been on the brink from earlier. I screamed out his name, my back arching, and he growled, riding out my orgasm as he thrust in and out hard and fast, our skin slapping together repeatedly.

He slowed to let me calm down, but I wasn't having that. Pushing on his shoulders, I flipped him over onto his back and straddled him. He gripped my hips to help me down onto him, and we groaned as he buried himself in me to the hilt again.

"Oh, god…" I whimpered, my head falling back as I rode him, swiveling my hips, up and down, back and forth. "You feel so good…"

"Bella," Edward grunted, meeting my thrusts. "Shit. Fuck, that's it…" His grip on my hips tightened and he slammed up into me a few times. I pulled on his arms and he got the message, kneeling and wrapping my legs around his hips in a blur. He was in control again, and it felt indescribably good as I clung to him, his hands on my ass as he thrust into me, hitting all the right spots.

When his thrusts were speeding up and slipping out of the rhythm he'd created, I knew he was close. I was, too.

"Are you gonna come for me?" he growled in my ear, and I moaned.

"Yes…" I breathed. "So close…oh, Edward!" I cried as he angled his hips and pushed me down so my back was on the bed again, hitting my g-spot over and over; his hand was at my clit, pressing down and rubbing in hard circles, maddeningly slow.

"Fuck, Bella," he grunted as I clenched around him, my back arching off the bed as I came without warning, screaming his name, my hands reaching out toward him, caressing his chest and abdomen—the only part of him I could reach. He just felt so good, too fucking good. "Yes… god, you're so tight… I'm coming, baby." And he thrust into me hard once more, burying himself inside me to the hilt.

He collapsed on top of me and rolled over, gripping me. However, we were too close to the edge of the bed, and we hit the ground. Edward's back was on the floor and I at his side, his hands around my waist, and my hand on his chest. I leaned up on my elbow and raised an eyebrow at him, and we chuckled. Edward reached up with his hand, pushing my hair away from my face before cupping it. He pulled me head down and pressed his lips to mine.

Humming, we resumed our activities, occupying ourselves for hours.

_**oOoOo**_

"Edward," I said quietly as the sunrise marked the beginning of another day.

"I am ready," he told me, also speaking quietly. "I just…after hearing his thoughts…I needed to feel you. I know it shouldn't affect me like this—"

I pressed my finger to his lips. "Edward, my darling, you were brought into this world in a lie. Carlisle Cullen manipulated you, setting you up for failure; I know that much. Your maker, the one person most are able to trust, betrayed you. It is quite normal to respond to the truth—whatever it may be—in the way you have. When a vampire is upset, they turn to their mate for comfort."

His eyes widened in shock before a sexy little smirk crossed his face. "Well, you certainly comforted me; very well, in fact."

"I'm glad," I purred, before I forced myself to calm down. "Now, please, darling, tell me what the doctor thought during our encounter with him. And of course, remember that I could never be angry at you— ever. You were the victim in that monster's game."

He swallowed and nodded, taking a deep breath. "He…he played a hand in my death; he planned it and everything. When…when I was in the car, I remember seeing flashes of a man running alongside the car before they ran out onto the road in front of me; it was him. He'd planned it so I'd try to swerve out of the way in order to not hit him, causing enough injury to myself that it was either death or transformation."

I took a deep breath as he paused, reining in my anger. I took his hand in mine, cupping his cheek, trying to comfort him as he struggled to continue. "He'd done it before…I wasn't the first. He followed those who were like me—young, close-knit family, good people; ones that didn't want to inflict pain on or kill others. Of course, circumstances of death varied, but…the result was always the same. He'd send us on our way just as our confidence built, only for us to fail, sending us into a depression of sorts. From what I could see, it was all a game; he liked the thrill of the 'kill,' I suppose you could say, knowing that when we failed, we would feel… well, you know." He looked at me, and I nodded, stroking his back as I straddled him, nuzzling my nose against his cheek. He took a deep breath and shuddered, relaxing into my arms.

"Did he know whether they were alive? These vampires?" I asked him. "Did he check up on them as he did with you?"

Edward shook his head, nuzzling his head against my breast. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. "No. But somehow, he knew I was your mate and he…he thought that by changing me and making me… like I was…it would cause you to react irrationally. He wanted you to go crazy with anger, making it easier for him to overpower the Volturi. He knew that your main concern would be me, and he wanted the power and position we have in the vampire world for himself."

His voice was so small, and I hated the pain I could hear laced through the words. Sighing, I gripped his hair, pulling his head back.

"I love you," I told him, making him look me in the eyes. "And he is gone now. He will never again have this hold on you."

He sighed and nodded. "I know…and I love you, too."

I smiled. "Edward, you are not bad for drinking the blood of humans," I told him seriously, wanting this in his head once and for all. Anger was still fiery in my veins, like venom, and my hands itched to be able to rip Carlisle Cullen apart again. "It is in a vampire's nature; it's our natural source of food, just as vegetables and meat is for humans, and milk is for newborn babes."

He nodded. "I know. I…I'm okay, really. It was just hearing all of that in his head, I realized how… worthless I am, or was, to him. But I know that I'm not worthless. I just hate that I was so weak, so easily played, and I love that you have made me the strong man and mate that I need and want to be."

I frowned. "You are not weak, and you are so far from worthless. I am glad you know that. You placed your trust in a man who abused the trust of everyone he knew. That is not weak or worthless, Edward."

He nodded, saying nothing.

I sighed, dropping the subject once and for all. I was glad that Carlisle Cullen was gone, and that Edward and I could move on with our existences.

And as Edward distracted me—and himself—from this conversation the way he did best, he whispered, "I'm glad I have you, my deadly woman…my very own femme fatale."

I chuckled. "I'll show you just how _fatale _I can be," I told him.

And I did.

* * *

**Alright, so that was the last regular chapter. Anything you wanna see in the epilogue (which is up next)? It's fast tracked fifty years.**

**Thanks for reading and please review.**

**Please follow me on twitter: ** bexie25fanfic

**Or add me on facebook: **Bexie Twenty-Five Fanfiction

**Or join my fanfic group for sneak peeks about the sequel (a few details have been posted there already): **Bexie25 Fanfics – link: facebook groups/327932867322639/

**bexie25**


	20. Epilogue

**Hello everyone!**

**Unfortunately, the first installment of the Fatale series has met its end! Here is the epilogue! Everything I want to say is at the bottom, along with a very important note concerning THE SEQUEL... SO PLEASE READ!**

**Enjoy this!**

* * *

**50 YEARS LATER**

**EPILOGUE**

* * *

"Edward?" I called as I walked slowly into the throne room.

I was met with silence.

Frowning, I walked a little faster, looking around as I did so. My head whipped left and right in short, startling motions, so fast I almost missed the sudden movement to my right.

Gasping, I turned to face my mate. Immediately, I was met with a beautiful site; my eyes fell on my Edward's gorgeous lips first, the smile toying on them almost demure. With a smile of my own, I let my eyes wander his face, my eyes meeting his in an instant.

"Hello, my darling."

His voice was so soft that were I not a vampire, I would not have heard him. I opened my mouth to respond, but in a flash he was before me, pulling me into his arms, which wrapped around my waist as his lips descended on mine.

I moaned, my hands flying to his face, which I grasped greedily. Even after fifty years, all of them spent as his wife, I reacted in the same way whenever he kissed me. It was a compulsion, a need; I had to have him.

So much had changed in that time. Not only between Edward and I, but in Edward himself. If I had been proud of him in those first few months with all that trouble with Carlisle, it was nothing compared to the pride I felt now. Edward had grown so much, accomplished so much; his view of himself had done a complete one-eighty.

And more than that, my mate was such a good man. After the debacle with Carlisle and our conversation about the whole situation, Edward had decided he wanted to help those who'd gone through the same experience.

And so, in the months after the encounter, Edward located each and every one of Carlisle's victims and arranged for them to be brought here. He wanted to try to help them move on and see all the amazing things that this life had to offer. He taught them what I had taught him, or so he said.

He never told me what that was.

Either way, the vampires he met and helped were all so thankful. They all did their best to live the life that Edward had showed them and, since the first meeting, most have returned for visits or caught up with us at some point in the past fifty years.

And just six months after the last of them had left our home here in Volterra, Edward proposed.

It had been quite unexpected, actually, and I always found myself remembering it as I remembered first meeting Edward, then marrying him: regularly, and with a smile on my face.

Edward said he now knew when I was thinking of those times or of him in general; I had a radiant smile on my face and a glazed film over my eyes every single time.

_Just as I did now, _I thought with a smirk as Edward's voice brought me back to the present. The tenor of his voice caused shivers to run down my spine.

"Bella, my love," Edward whispered in my ear. His fingers were dancing on my hips, grazing against the bare skin. I smiled to myself, loving the stylistic cuts in the dress; it gave me the opportunity to feel my mate's hands on me, skin to skin, whenever we wished, without the restriction of clothing. Of course, I was never bare enough for Edward; a fact he frequently reminded me of... usually in a whining manner as he tried to undress me or lure me away to our chambers.

And it always brought a smile of pure delight to my face, knowing that my husband was just as affected by me as I was by him.

I hummed against my husband's neck, brushing my lips against his throat before I dipped my head back to look in his eyes.

"Yes?" I breathed.

My Edward shivered before his arms tightened around me, a smug look of pure lust in his eyes. "Why think of me when you have the real thing right here in your arms?"

The question was whispered seductively in my ear, immediately followed by his lips wrapping around my earlobe. He sucked softly, slowly getting harder and harder.

My core throbbed, and I whimpered, "Why indeed."

He chuckled huskily, letting go of my earlobe. He ran his hands over my body, and I could tell from his growl that the small slivers of skin were not enough. I could feel _and _hear the growl that reverberated in his chest as his hands gripped my dress and pulled hastily, ripping the garment at the seams. I gasped as he grabbed me, his hands gripping my thighs as he wrapped my legs around his waist. With his mouth ravishing my neck, pressing wet, sucking kisses up and down my throat, small gasps and whimpers fell from between my open lips as he walked forward. I gasped even louder when my back hit the wall and Edward aligned his whole body with mine. I could feel _every single inch of him._

And of course, I always—_always_—wanted more.

"Edward," I keened low into my mate's ear. His answering growl was filled with lust and ferocious need; I whimpered as he ground himself against my core and I bucked into him, crying out for him now and more.

Edward responded just as I'd hoped he would, unable to ignore his mate's needs. The sound of ripping fabric echoed throughout the room, and it took me a moment to realise that Edward had ripped off the rest of his and my clothing.

"Bella...fuck, love, I need you..._now_," he told me. I forced myself to keep my eyes open, which was quite difficult considering how hard he was grinding into me. "I can't wait any longer. You... like this..." He looked down at me, swallowing. "My control just isn't that good, darling."

"Then relinquish the last of it," I told him. "Really, my mate; we have all night for your plans..." I grasped his face in my hands and stared into his eyes. "Make love to me."

The corners of his lips curled up and his tongue peeked out of his mouth to moisten his lips. He swallowed afterwards, and only then was he able to reply, husky though he sounded.

"With the utmost pleasure," he breathed against my skin, making me shiver and whimper as his warm breath left a raging fire on my skin wherever it touched me.

And then there was nothing else but the two of us, our lust and the wall I was being held against, which I was sure would not last the night. Edward entered me quickly but softly, worshipping me like only a true mate could. As he thrust into me, setting the perfect, steady pace, his hands wandered all over my body; his left threaded through my hair, his right slithering down my body to play with my clit and his mouth... Oh, his mouth... toyed with my nipples, which were hard enough to cut through steel. He knew all the right buttons to tease, not pushing until he chose to, until both of us were right at the edge. And as his thrusts turned shallow and slipped out of the rhythmic pace he'd created, becoming more and more needy and erratic, he did just that.

I screamed out his name and he roared mine. As he lost control, slipping over the edge, his talon-like fingers dug into my skin and he threw his head back. He thrust into me once, twice, and a third time before he buried himself inside me to the hilt.

I, too, was unable to control myself, and my back arched as I cried out in ecstasy. Edward began to thrust slowly and lazily, bringing us both down from the high and I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder. When he eventually stopped, his cock buried deep within me, we sighed, and I leaned my head back to kiss him.

"Happy anniversary," he panted against my lips.

I laughed, making him moan as it did something to the way we were still connected. Brushing my lips against his, I looked into his eyes. "Happy anniversary."

And I couldn't wait for many more to come.

* * *

**How was the epilogue? I hope it was satisfactory.**

**Alright. Announcements.**

**ANNOUNCEMENT: SEQUEL**

**So, as you know, there will be a sequel. It is called Nuit Fatale (french for Fatal Night). The cover image has been uploaded onto my facebook group, Bexie25 Fanfics (link: facebook dot com/groups/327932867322639/) and the banner will be there posted there as well, but only when it's closer to the first chapter's upload date which will be in about a month. If you want to read the sequel, get me on author alert, although after I've updated the first chapter I'll post here to tell you all. :)**

**To give you extra incentive, here's the summary: **

100 years after the epilogue of Femme Fatale, things have changed in Volterra. But vampires have long, unforgiving memories and the desire for revenge is ever-present when all you love was torn from you by those who thirsted for power. As the Volturi prepares for war, betrayal, history itself, and an old enemy threatens the safety and lives of the Volturi.

**NEXT ANNOUNCEMENT:**** PDF**

**The PDF of Femme Fatale will be ready by the time of the first chapter's upload (hopefully). The chapters that have not been beta'd have all been sent to my trusty beta, Dawning Juliet (check out her story(ies), btw) and she is working through them while balancing her own story and my other story _I'm a Girl with Power_.**

**Anyways. ****There you go with all the info I can give you on the sequel. I hope you liked this story, and I'd like to thank each and every single one of you for reading, reviewing, alerting and favouriting. **

**With that, I ask that you please review this one more time to tell me what you thought of it. Until then, I will see you in a month with the sequel!**

**Thank you!**

**bexie25**


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